Heart On Fire
by orangecuddles
Summary: "He'd seemed mysterious. She'd fallen." WWE Diva Jill Oliveira (OC) isn't looking for love, and all of a sudden it just kind of pops her in the face. She has been an average admirer of his promos and matches on TV, but when she finally meets Dean Ambrose, Cupid hits the bull's eye and strikes Jill right in the heart. Will she deny these feelings? Or will she take the risk to fall?
1. Chapter 1

"Woo-hooo! Finally, Cody! Finally! The gold is in my hands!" I exclaimed in excitement as we walked out of the video game store. I took one look at the bloody and thundering text which read, "Crimson Combat: Inflamed", practically bellowing from the cover of the video game. It was calling me, and I couldn't wait to play it.

Cody Rhodes snatched the case from my hands. "The gold… is in _our _hands." He flashed that confident smile which either always annoyed me, or made me laugh. Usually, it was a mixture of both – and that's what I exactly felt at the time. He looked at it with sheer desire.

"Excuse me, but as far as winning golden prizes goes, the gold is absolutely in _my _hands and _my _hands, alone! I paid for that!" I declared with an assertive laugh, resting my hands on either side of my waist.

"Yeah? Well that's if you can take the gold away from me, smidget!" The mustache-self-proclaimed-dashing-prince mocked, holding the video game high up above his head with one hand, taking full advantage of the whole height-disadvantage situation. See, I was exactly 5'0 tall..or short, in that case. And he was this towering 6-foot-tall guy, or actually, about 5'10 if you don't talk of _billed heights, WWE style_. To be honest I nearly lost all hope in achieving my dream of becoming a WWE diva, all because of my height. 'Cause man, I was real tiny, like a teenage kid.

"Such a jack-butt, gimme that! It's my money, mustachio!"

"Look, Jill I can't see the point of that. It just so happened that I forgot to bring my wallet today and – "

"You obviously did that on purpose."

"I did not. And later when we get back to the hotel, I'll give you my share, hand it to you straight from my wallet, and we can both call it 'our gold', then." Cody flashed me that smile of his which almost meant to psychologically say, _Do you love that idea, huh? _

"Fine." I folded my arms across my chest.

Cody has been like my best friend in the WWE for quite a few years now. It's funny, 'cause no matter how many times people had tried to press some kind of intimate- love-crap-malice on the two of us, we just didn't have that chemistry and eventually, fellow WWE Superstars and Divas got tired of pushing our flimsy-ever-so-lame loveteam, lost all hope, and just got used to us being friendly cat-and-mouse forever. Seriously, like, try to leave the both of us naked in one room for 24 hours and you could imagine Cody going, "I ain't getting _this _in _that_!" – complete with his hands pointing from his crotch to mine. Heck, like I would want to be _copulating _with Cody-fudgin'-Rhodes!

Anyways, sorry for the really comical and a bit vulgar scenario but that's just the best I came up with to describe the kind of best-friendship I have with Cody Rhodes. And this was one of those small things we often slightly argued about. They were often small arguments – small ones, that after a short amount of time you all could picture the both of us already having an agreement and huggin' it out – Team Hell No style, baby.

"Cody! Jill!" Cody and I whirled around to see Daniel Bryan running toward us.

I had called him "D-Bry" more often than I addressed him as "Daniel". Another great and close and really funny friend of mine in the WWE, D-Bry was just the perfect person for Cody and I to sorta, "recruit" into our bizarre trio to enjoy all the weirdest things altogether. I had actually met Daniel first during my indie wrestling days, but only got closer to him when we crossed paths yet again in the WWE.

Since then, Cody, D-Bry, and I were inseparable. We were such an abnormal trio – Charlie Chaplin, a powerpuff girl, and a goat-face. Yeah, we're like the "Happy Three Friends".

"Let's go get some lunch now – Oh hey, wait a second! Is that it?" D-Bry's eyes beamed all over at Crimson Combat's second installment as he neared us. He just wanted it as badly as Cody and I did.

"Oh my gosh, this is gonna taste like gold later toni – " Mr. Goat-face tried to snatch the case, but Cody was quick.

"Sorry, Daniel," Cody teased. He and I proudly held up the video game in front of his face. "But the gold," he put an arm around me, "…is in _our _hands," Cody and I finished the statement as we bragged out on D-Bry's face.

"NO!" Daniel shouted his catch-phrase.

The three of us laughed in unison and we went on to get some lunch.

* * *

After lunch, we had to go back to the arena with all the Superstars and Divas as Vince McMahon was to brief us all regarding the upcoming pay-per-view events, house shows, tours, and all that stuff.

This was one of those informal and really casual meetings that Vince usually called for. They were different from those really formal business meetings that took place inside his office. This was a lot more casual where you could actually be relaxed and even have a picnic in the arena. During meetings like this, he gathered everyone in the empty arena and let us occupy the empty elevated seats.

Our trio always came early, like anytime, anywhere. So by the time we got to the arena, there was no one else there, yet.

"Aren't you three always the early birds in this industry?" The familiar lean figure of a man probably in his mid-40's materialized as we neared a row of seats.

Mr. Jim Johnston, the musical director in our company for several years, greeted us.

"I only wish we could get recognized for small things like this." D-Bry gave Jim a friendly hug; Cody and I did so.

Jim let a small chuckle. "I shall head backstage first, will be right back as soon as more seats are occupied here." Jim adjusted his glasses before turning on his heel and leaving.

The three of us took seats in the arena, all with Sonic shakes in our hands, relentlessly sipping from our straws. And since we were there early, we got to watch the others arrive.

"I don't ever believe Zack Ryder," Daniel began, referring to Zack Ryder who was walking around the arena with the Bellas on either side of his. "I mean, seriously! VIP ticket for a One Direction concert and he gets the ladies?"

"Yeah, ridiculous." Cody wiggled the Sonic cup in his hand to allow some of the ice to melt.

"Oh shut up, Cody you listen to J. Bieb crap," I pointed out.

"I DON'T! My niece has put those mp3 files in my playlist, without my knowledge," Cody defended. D-Bry shook his head and put it down as he laughed. I laughed along.

"Maryyyysssseeee!" I stood from my seat and started jumping; waving wildly to Maryse as I spotted her and Miz from afar. She saw me and waved back, flashing her sexy smile. Miz smiled, too. They started walking toward us.

* * *

The others had started arriving, and minutes later, the arena was filled with wrestlers.

"You know what, I often forget to realize how big our company is until during these meetings where I can literally see like almost all of us!" I said in amusement, as I was finishing up Cody's shake – he kinda always never finished his Sonic shakes and kinda always handed me the thing to let me do the finish. I have a sweet tooth.

"Man, I can't wait to see that Kassius Ohno finally debut on the main roster," Cody told Daniel as they both kept an eye on the long-haired man in his FCW shirt and jeans who had just arrived with other men who were not on the main roster yet.

Suddenly, I felt strange. It was so strange, that I couldn't explain.

"Tho-.. Those are the guys from developmental, right?" I asked my two friends.

"Yeah," they both plainly replied as they went along with their long conversation about the guys who they considered were real talents and had the potential to be the next breakout stars and stuff. But I was hardly paying attention to them by now, 'cause I just couldn't.

Everything going in my head now was "developmental guys", and I knew for a fact that there was something about it. "Developmental guys" referred to those who were working in the developmental program of the WWE which was NXT, formerly FCW – short for Florida Championship Wrestling. And I did know for a fact, too, that there was something in FCW…or someone.

Something inside me cringed, and I honestly couldn't pinpoint the feeling. It felt really strange. And it couldn't be any stranger when I spotted _what I spotted_.

Along with the whole bunch of FCW guys who had just started arriving in the arena stood out a man – a man who, despite wearing that Bengals cap over his head, was still able to let his golden fluff of short hair hang out a little, and those strands shone as the arena lights gleamed against it. He was in his jeans, wore an ECW black hoodie, carried some drink with him, and had his headphones around his neck.

_It's him_, my mind notified.

And it was him – it was Dean Ambrose. The wrestler who I first saw on TV cutting a promo on FCW, and it was just the most brilliant and most golden thing going on in that roster, I always thought. So brilliant, that I kinda got a little too attached to it and actually began anticipating him on TV. The thing with his promos was that they were so sinister, like he was always so evil and I dug that stuff. In the ring, he was without a doubt talented, he was always able to tell a story in the ring – he was the complete package.

And then I remembered last week. Chaplin, goat-face, and I visited the FCW taping and we were backstage, and… I didn't know anymore, but I freakin' saw Dean Ambrose cut a promo right before my eyes, and dang it the TV didn't do justice! He was even more overwhelming live! I.. I couldn't explain how I felt.

All these things went through my head, and now I was watching him walk. Oh, and he was walking toward our direction…walking close… _Wait is he going to sit near us_? I was… I was unexplainable.

_Whatever in heaven is happening to my body! _My mind scolded, as I felt really strange and I wasn't so sure…but, was my heart racing? Holy cow.

I was seated at the last seat in the row, like near the stairs. And the FCW guys were walking up those stairs… Dean Ambrose was walking up the stairs. And I was just right next to those stairs.

My mind was in a spasm. _How do I… What in the world… Are they sitting next to us? But I'm occupying the last seat in this row! Oh, maybe there are vacant seats behind us. _I looked back swiftly. _Oh, there are. Freakin' hamsandwich, they're sitting behind our row?_

I was kind of really unconscious about my eyes consistently focusing on the FCW men walking past our row. All of a sudden, I froze.

_Did he just… have eye contact with me? _I looked away so quickly and in milliseconds my eyes were glued to the ground and I did not know what was going on around me no more. I could feel the blood rushing all the way up to my face. _What is happening! This is torture to my body!_

"Jill?" Cody's voice startled me, slightly saving me from the mind-torture I was experiencing. And no, he didn't have to know about it. "You okay?"

"Holy crap, she's finished your Sonic shake again? Look at the redness of her face!" Daniel let out a laugh.

"What? I am red?" I asked, worry in my tone. I began to feel over-conscious. This was embarrassing.

When I nervously looked back at the stairs, I didn't see anyone walking no more. The FCW men had been out of my sight fast. _Must have taken their seats already_, I thought.

Then my mind went berserk again. _What on Earth is happening? What's causing this feeling? What's really eating me now? And where is Dean Ambrose seated, now? And did he… did his eyes really come to meet mine earlier?_

The eye contact was quick and swift; I couldn't really tell it actually happened. But it felt so.

"Um, excuse me, Jill." A hand suddenly shook my left shoulder from behind. The voice was unfamiliar, but by all means laid-back and pleasant.

My head turned. And upon seeing what I saw, I could tell the look on my face was so abnormal, I only really wished it wasn't that obvious.

It was freakin' Dean Ambrose, handing me the attendance sheet and pen.

"Have you signed, yet?" Dean Ambrose asked. He was looking at me. And for some reason I wasn't able to look at him so my eyes stayed glued to the freakin' attendance sheet.

"Oh, not yet. Thanks." Somehow I managed to sound casual and a little less awkward and I even smiled a tad.

Quickly I grabbed the attendance sheet and pen from his hands, and my skin slightly got in contact with his and I could've sworn I really felt something go through me but I couldn't really explain myself!

I hope it didn't turn out to look like I was rude, but I quickly turned my head away from him as I got the sheet and pen. I didn't know what to feel, I didn't know. I guessed I didn't know how to handle his stare.

After looking away and focusing on signing in the attendance sheet, the feeling inside me was something that fell between relief and regret; relief that I was finally not suffering from the crazy feeling his presence gives me, and regret that I didn't look him in the eyes when I had the chance.

_Is this what I think it is?_

_Screw it._


	2. Chapter 2

Jill Oliveira. 5'0. 110 lbs. From Cleveland, Ohio. Of Asian descent. Black hair; about 4 inches past my shoulders. Brown eyes. For those who were nice to me, the color of my skin has been described as "peaches-and-cream", others used the term "bisque", and for those who weren't so nice to me, they said my skin was just plainly an unhealthy pale shade and that I was often just somebody who encountered embarrassment multiple times so I always grew some shades of pink. But if I were to describe it, really, it was just the lightest shade of brown that kinda actually looked pinkish, especially when it was exposed to either violent sunny day or violent snowy day.

There. I just thought I should share a little something about me, and atleast give you an idea of how I looked like before I go on rambling about my crazy story involving my "strange feelings".

A story that started earlier today. No, actually, like last week. Or quite a couple weeks prior to that week. The thing was, this strange feeling has been here even before the incident earlier; it was just there in that incident that I had been triggered and decided, _Hey. This is strange. This must be something._

With that said, I was now walking my way back to my hotel room. Cody and D-Bry had proceeded there first while I stayed a little and hung around with Maryse and Maria, and with AJ and Kaitlyn afterwards.

I opened the door to my hotel room and spotted the two idiots cracking out jokes to each other and laughing vehemently like wild creatures.

"What's the fuss about?" I questioned as I couldn't keep the grin off my face; the scene of these two being just plain idiots alone always inflicted a funny feeling. Cody was on the couch, laptop on his lap, and D-Bry was on the bed smashing pillows as he laughed. I closed the door behind me.

"Nothing, Jill. It's just that all these fanfics are too damn ridiculous! It's too much!" Cody motioned to his laptop.

"Fanfics? You guys are suddenly interested in them? And fanfics about what? Like, involving who?" I ran my fingers through my long and messy hair, sitting next to D-Bry.

"Kid, it's wrestling slash fictions!" D-Bry's laughing was so violent, he couldn't bear it himself and his arms came falling to wrap around me and suddenly, all his weight is on me.

"You guys are reading what!" I yelled, as D-Bry's weight annihilated me and my face was planted into the bed. "Goat-face! I can't breathe," I attempted under bated breath but the goat-face wouldn't let go and just laughed.

"This is just ridiculous, I mean can you imagine? We're actually reading this love story between Barrett and Orton!" Cody bellowed. This time, Daniel was gradually releasing me from the hold. Man, Barrett and Orton love story, that was actually weird. I laughed.

"And also, Kane's love angle with The Ryback," D-Bry added, his eyes nearly shut from laughing so hard.

"Or the Big Show-Big E love team."

"Or the Del Rio-Rhodes love team!" Daniel broke out laughing.

"Disgusting!" Cody uttered in slight disgust, still couldn't stop laughing though. "Geez where do these writers come from? Or more accurately, where do they get these ideas? Funny and weird. Even so, they're still creative."

"Yeah! I bet some of our past and present head writers started from doing those peculiar fanfics, too." I sprawled all over the bed.

"Possible," Daniel agreed.

"But cheeses, guys. You two must be totally bored! I mean, to be reading those?" I palmed my face.

"Well we just thought we'd give ourselves a break from reading the comics we've collected."

"Comics you guys've collected?" I answered back to Cody. "More like comics _you guys've stolen _from me!"

"Why are you all so possessive and greedy lately?" D-Bry joked. "Besides, you're still reading that new thriller crap you just bought."

"Whatever." I rolled over to my side and ignored the two for a while. And just as I was about to fall asleep…

I think I was actually half-asleep, when suddenly..I began hearing these:

"Daniel! Check this out! Something on our group message board. It's gotta be from the board of directors_._"

Yes, WWE has an online group message board which is exclusively shared to every Superstar, Diva, and all other personnel.

"Official list of FCW talents to debut on RAW Supershow." I think I just heard them read the title of the message.

Even with eyes ajar, there my mind went again. _FCW. FCW. Developmental.. Developmental guys. To debut on the main roster. _I wondered who made it to the list.

"Dang it, Ohno isn't debuting yet?" I heard Cody express in slight disappointment.

"Well, atleast Ambrose made it. Another one with loads of potential. I mean you saw how he was when we visited FCW last week, right? That's not all, though. Encountered him couple times back in the indies. Great athlete." D-Bry's voice sounded thrilled.

This was when my eyes almost literally, like popped out of their sockets. I did kinda already know that D-Bry has long been connected to Dean Ambrose because of their backgrounds on the independent scene, but decided I wouldn't ask much about him, for now, atleast. I was quite uneasy about it.

"And Rollins and Reigns, too," Cody added.

"Um, hey, you two." I slowly sat up. "What are you guys checking out?" I pretended to be clueless; I didn't want them detecting any hint of curiousness from me. I rubbed my eyes casually and at a snail's pace, strode to their direction.

I made sure there was no trace of curiosity or sheer interest from me. As my two friends and I all kept our eyes on the screen that displayed a little bit of Dean Ambrose (along with his other associates, ofcourse), I _secretly _slightly reveled in what I was seeing.

And I quite hated that I had to do it secretly. _Why in the world am I acting this way?_

We decided to play Crimson Combat: Inflamed, afterwards.

* * *

"Oh c'mon, Daniel the controller has been in your hands for like 45 minutes now!" And whenever I addressed him as 'Daniel', no one could deny the urgency that my demand implied. I wanted to get the controller in my hands already.

"One last round, one last one!" Daniel pleaded, hands violent all over the PS3 controller. Cody sat next to him on the bed. He was just as focused as D-Bry was.

"I deserve to take my turn, goat-face!"

"But you already took yours, and you've beaten Cody countless times! You've already had about 4 turns."

"And this is your 9th, Daniel!" I bellowed, desperate to be playing again.

"Just.. Just let me beat Cody, and I promise to give the controller back to you." D-Bry's eyes sharply darted the screen. Freakin' goat-face wouldn't even look at me when I was dead serious about wanting to play!

Sometimes during small childish acts like these I just wanted to yank all of D-Bry's beard off of his face, and wax that mustache off of Cody's upper lip so hard for doing nothing about goat-face abusing my kindheartedness. In and out of the ring, I was an underdog. Dang these idiots. Instead of killing myself trying to wait for Daniel till he beat Cody in the game, I decided to go get some refreshments.

"Fine." I ran a hand through my hair. "I'll just go to the mini-bar. But when I come back, and you still won't let me play, I will mop the entire floor with your insanely grown out facial hair." I aimed my index finger to D-Bry. As usual, he didn't take my threat seriously and just laughed. I could see Cody trying to stifle a laugh.

"Don't get in trouble outside, love you." Daniel made multiple kisses in the air blowing in my direction before I finally stepped out of the room and shut the door.


	3. Chapter 3

I settled at an empty six-person table in the beautiful mini-bar of the hotel. Actually, the mini-bar itself quite seemed empty. There were only about six people, including me, inside. Two of them had actually walked up to me and asked for a picture. I was astonished. It was very rare. I mean, this was a very luxurious hotel and the people who checked in here were probably highly elite and didn't belong to the class who usually adored wrestling. It heartened me a bit. I stood between the two tall men and posed with my casual rock handsign. The camera and my smile flashed against each other as the sallow lights illuminated the area. The guys thanked me afterwards and I thanked them back.

I pulled at my black Limp Bizkit hoodie, straightening it before taking a seat - a habit of mine. An OCD habit, some would say. Consequently, I folded my black and purple Harley Davidson motorcycle handkerchief onto my lap. I was a hanky-type-of-person. I never left without it. I couldn't live without a handkerchief. It was kind of like my husband or something.

I was having a huge bowl of potato chips, Caesar and garlic ranch dips, Coke in can, some chocolate chip cookies, and a tall glass of water. I picked 4 chips at once, dipped them into the garlic ranch and into the Caesar, and stuffed them into my mouth. Immediately, I took a sip out of my Coke.

"Jill!" AJ walked vibrantly through the glass doors of the mini-bar, flashing a smile at me. She must be excited to see me, even though we were just with each other earlier today. It's safe to say that, when I came into the WWE, I kinda saved AJ from the entire "underdog feeling" she used to have. 'Cause finally, she found a diva who was shorter than her. Ha-ha-ha. We clicked quickly and became friends fast.

I waved and smiled while I sipped from my Coke. Smiling while sipping, imagine that.

"Hey," I greeted as AJ neared. She took a seat next to me. "Here, have some." I pushed the bowl of chips towards her. She took two and dabbed in the garlic ranch. "What's up?"

"Nothing," AJ said in between crunchy chews. "We just sorta feel like eating now."

"_We? _Who's with you?"

"New acquaintances..soon to be friends, I guess!" She giggled. "You know, the new recruits from developmental."

And once again, my mind had engaged into that chaos-type-of-thing like earlier. _Developmental. FCW. Developmental guys. They're with AJ? Ambrose... Is he gonna be here? Why are they here? -Ugh, they're checked in the same hotel, ofcourse. Wait...they're gonna be eating here, too? _

"Really?" I made an enormous attempt to sound as casual as possible. Strangely, I was kinda feeling fretful and fidgety.

"Yeah, they said they'd follow me here. I think they just went to get some - Oh, they're here! Guys!" AJ called, waving her hands minimally at the two guys who had just entered the mini-bar. I looked up to see Seth Rollins... and Dean Ambrose walking toward our table. My heart started misbehaving, all of a sudden. It wasn't any longer that the two men were finally standing in front of AJ and me.

"These are Seth and Dean. Guys, this is Jill," AJ introduced ever casually.

"Hi," I greeted shyly with a smile. Handshakes were too formal and I personally found them quite insincere. Smiles were so much genuine.

"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Stray Bullet," Seth nicely said, referring to me with one of the monikers I used in wrestling. My smile grew bigger at Seth.

_Don't be rude. Look at him and smile! _But I was already smiling at Seth. _No, silly. Don't be an idiot and smile at Dean Ambrose. _

My eyes slowly drifted over Dean Ambrose, whose icy blue eyes pierced through mine. My lips curved into a smile. Dean Ambrose nodded and smiled back. And I hated that I honestly, actually even recognized that dimple underneath his left cheek as he did this. _Okay? That wasn't so bad. But what are you doing, Jill? _I slowly set my eyes on the table and pretended to use my phone.

"So, how about we go get something now?" AJ stood from her chair. She had just dug into her bag, looking for her purse when Seth spoke up.

"No, AJ. Please leave it to me," Seth nicely asked. He pulled his wallet from his back pocket.

"But it's okay, really." AJ adjusted her geeky glasses.

"But boys will be boys." Seth sealed with a smile and AJ didn't seem to say 'no' anymore.

"Okay. But atleast let me come with you over the counter." AJ stepped by Seth's side. "Dean, keep Jill company here while we get food, okay?"

"Yeah, braah. And since you treated me for lunch earlier, I got you this time." Seth told Dean.

"Alright, man." Dean slipped a hand into his pocket. AJ and Seth started to walk away...leaving Dean Ambrose and me _alone_. He took a seat from across mine. As he settled, I thought I just felt my heart race. But I didn't want to look like an idiot. I had to think properly.

"Congratulations, you guys are finally debuting!" I managed to be casual, and naturally, I sounded sincere. I really was excited about them debuting. _Good move, good one. Keep it going._

"Oh. Thank you," Dean replied, his voice laid-back as ever. "To be honest I didn't think we'd be the ones to get chosen this time." His thin lips pursed.

"Why is that?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"I...dunno, really. I guess maybe it's 'cause there are lots of guys who I think are more talented and stuff," he slightly scoffed.

"But you are of pure talent yourself, trust me." And I could've sworn that by this time, quite too much sincerity was already showing. I just hoped no hint of admiration crap was detected. My heart beat harder through my chest when Dean suddenly didn't say anything. _You freak! That sounded creepy! Oh gosh._ _Gosh! _Instead, he lightly put his head down and slowly grew a smile on his face, his teeth showing. Along with that dimple. That irresistible dimple. It delighted me.

"I normally don't know how to handle compliments, you know," he said in between chuckles. "...especially from girls," he admitted.

"Oh, I guess that's normal for people who are usually unaware of how gifted they are." I was a little too sincere. But, man! He really was a talented wrestler! When he didn't say anything again, it made me think that maybe I was flattering him a bit too much so he didn't know what to say anymore. The smile that was already on his face started growing bigger. And I found myself smiling back at him. We were... smiling at each other. _Okay, that's nice. But don't prolong it, or he'll think you're another psycho diva. _Slowly, I released myself from the "smile-lock", if you will. _Now what. Oh! Manners!_

"Hey, have some." I slid the bowl of chips across the table. He gladly took a few and dabbed them in caesar.

"You know what," Dean spoke while chewing, "You don't look 24 at all."

_He...knows my actual age? _I was flattered but ofcourse I didn't wanna show it.

"R-really?" I slightly stammered, so I grabbed my Coke and drank.

"Actually, don't take this the wrong way, but you don't look like a wrestler at all." His elbows rested on the table.

I didn't say anything. I got that a lot, but I didn't know where this conversation was headed to. Wasn't really sure about what he was trying to say. Because no words could come out of my mouth, I just narrowed my eyes, pursing my lips to the right side in curiosity. I waited for his follow-up statement.

"Especially when you're fully covered, like how you are now," he pertained to the sweatshirt that practically covered my entire body. "I mean, until those beautiful cuts you've worked on are exposed, people won't really believe that you are a wrestler."

_Wow, he thinks my cuts are beautiful. _I couldn't think intelligently anymore. I wasn't sure what to feel about all the things he was saying, but atleast he thought I was in beautiful shape.

"Yeah, making people believe that I am a wrestler sure does take long."

"You don't look 24, you're like a highschool student. You look like a highschool student, you don't look like a wrestler." Dean swept his gold hair strands with his ring finger, pushing them to the right side of his face. "You're... You're too _cute _to be a wrestler." His smile was loud, and that dimple kept me enticed.

Now I knew exactly how to feel - be flattered. Overly flattered. I thought I was dazed, all of a sudden. And I did not just start growing some shades of red all over my face. Cheeses, I was talking to Dean-freakin'-Ambrose.

_W-wh-..What should I say now? _I wasn't really one to thank people for giving me compliments I didn't think I deserved. I wasn't a chick, I always thought.

"Wow. Very cute, Dean," I joked. I was officially out of words.

"No, really. Until you get into that ring, you're easily perceived as some cute doll incarnate." His blue eyes convinced me. Dang it. And, wow. Somebody actually thought I looked like a doll? Amazing. "I gotta give it to you, though. You really kick some ass when you're in the ring."

"Gosh, thank you." This was one of those compliments which I thought I deserved, so I thanked him. When it came to wrestling, I knew how hard I worked and I loved the business so much.

"You're actually quite scary and unpredictable in the ring, Jill." I couldn't believe he was saying these. _Scary and unpredictable? That's actually very much more like you, Mr. Ambrose. _I couldn't get rid of the smile on my face. "You literally, just...explode there when you're in the ring, going wild and entertaining the WWE universe. You're like a dynamite." His lips pursed again, in such a way that was very adorable.

_Flattery overload._

"Hey, thanks so much. Just being passionate, I guess!" I tried involving soft chuckles as I said that. His mouth just pressed at a strong curve. I wondered what that smile meant.

"Very cool." He motioned to my Limp Bizkit sweatshirt. "I've got every song from their every album on my playlist," he said proudly. I marveled at this.

"They just rock, don't they? We should share playlists some time!" I said with excitement. I just naturally got high on awesome headbangin' rock bands.

"Would love to," he agreed, his dimple never disappearing now.

"Eating time!" I actually didn't notice that AJ and Seth walked back to us. On the table, they set the tray which carried a whole bunch of snacks.

Odd enough, I kinda felt that after that, things were about to get magically awesome. _Oh whatever are you saying, Jill Oliveira._


	4. Chapter 4

The elevator doors opened on the 5th floor and I started my way to my hotel room door. Scenes of what had just taken place in the mini-bar moments ago replayed; they kept running in my head. It would be hard to believe, but it was almost like at every step I took the image in my brain got brighter and had more vividness in it. I couldn't deny the smile that was forming on my face, though.

Too bad, this smile would have to go away this time, as I was already approaching the door to my hotel room. It meant that I would be met by D-Bry and Cody again, and if they saw me smiling like this, they'd start to suspect something. The thing was, I wasn't planning to tell them about this strange thing, yet. Especially when I wasn't so sure about it, yet. I thought maybe I had to hide it for now. I could make up an excuse, I just wasn't sure if it would be one that they'd buy. To be safe, I had to eliminate the smile ASAP.

Like some puppeteer commanded me to, the psychotic smile was gone from my face and was immediately replaced with its casual bare look as I knocked on the door.

The door opened and a literal goat-face materialized. Not being rude or whatever; it just so happened that every time Daniel Bryan showed up, it was a goat that I always saw. Hehe. We three had been like this to one another anyways; I thought it was one of those things that always bonded us. Weird, really.

"Jilley! Jilley! Jilley!" Shockingly, D-Bry swathed me into a bearhug. _What. The. Heaven. Are. You. Up. To. Goat-face. _He then lowered his wrapped arms to my waist and lifted me up as he brought me in the room, pushing the door close with his leg. I felt like a rag-doll in his arms.

"What is happening?" I muttered while I was being hoisted. D-Bry dropped me on the bed. Cody sat next to me. Both their eyes almost bore holes into mine as they just stared at me like that. _Creeps_. "Well?! Will you stop giving me loud silence and staring like that? You two are looking at me like you're game for a threesome tonight."

Cody playfully smacked my head. But he actually smacked it hard. "Aww! Hey that hurt!" I jumped all over him and took him down, I was like applying a chickenwing submission hold on him. Man, was he laughing hard.

"That tickles." Cody kept chuckling. I bit his neck. "Aw! Stop!" I let him go.

"Jill," Daniel called. "I'm truly sorry. I just realized how much of a jackass I was earlier when I never let you play once I had the controller in my hands." When D-Bry played pity like this, it was always extremely exaggerated and I never could help but laugh. "I'm sorry," he said, pouting and pretending to cry.

I just laughed. "Nah, forget about it! Completely fine with that!" I held my right thumb up. And besides, I'd completely forgotten about that, since I got so enthralled earlier with Dean Ambrose.

"Wow! You're not usually like that," Cody said. My stomach wrenched just a tiny bit. "You usually either verbally retaliate at us, or pull a really nasty prank on us when you're mad."

"So, then… maybe she isn't mad." Daniel softly yanked on his beard, grinning. "You're not mad, Jill?"

I hesitated. "Nope?" I shrugged. Even my answer was unsure. Well, I was sure. I wasn't mad. It was their seeming suspicion that made me feel hesitant.

"Okay, great!" D-Bry almost rejoiced. "You must've had some nice meal satisfaction down there, huh."

_Oh, boys. It was more than just a meal satisfaction. _As soon as I heard this in my head, I began over-conscious and started to panic that I had probably, unconsciously grown a creepy smile on my face!

"I guess," I answered plainly. "So have you beaten Cody yet?" I tried to change the subject. I lay on the bed, flat on my back. I slipped both my hands into the pocket of my hoodie on the front, right at my stomach… and realized that something was missing.

"Yes, he finally beat me. Two times. And it's actually funny, 'cause when he was – "

"AAAAHHHHHH!" I shrieked as I sat back up. Even my ears were devastated by it. I could imagine the torture my friends' ears suffered.

"What is it?" Cody held a finger in his right ear. His face was wincing, so was Daniel's.

"My hanky!" My eyes were wide open upon realizing. My hanky was missing. And it was one of my favorites. And I could never live without a hanky. I had packed up plenty of extra handkerchiefs, but as I'd said, that black and purple Harley Davidson Motorcycle was one of my favorite handkerchiefs and I just had to go retrieve it.

"It was.. It was here! In my hoodie's pocket! It's. I don't know where – I can't remember, I think it's… AHHH!" I bellowed in frustration, standing up. It was crazy how I panicked over a misplaced hanky. But it was serious.

"Relax, you must've left it in the mini-bar," Cody suggested. Yes, that was the only place in my mind.

"I'm pretty sure it's still there, it's only been minutes since you got here," D-Bry reassured. "And if someone took it, then maybe you should just forge – "

"I have to get it back!" I ran for the door, panic and dread triggering my actions; I couldn't lose my hanky, and I wasn't gonna lose it!

Adrenaline-fueled power filled me. I twisted the knob so hard, pulled-open the door with such force.

But the figure that showed up as I opened the door even possessed some kind of greater force. A different kind of force. It was also powerful – powerful to me, that its appearance kind of overwhelmed me.

It was like you were not looking for it, and it popped you in the face and the impact was too much to handle. _T'was the impact you sorta enjoyed, though_.

Dean Ambrose was at the doorstep. Every panicky molecule in my body seemed to stop circulating. But now my heart was the one having trouble. My system had never been normal.

I wasn't sure what kind of facial expression I just uncontrollably displayed on him that time (because of the whole panic crap), but telling from the way he looked at me, I probably looked horrible.

"Um, hi." Dean looked somewhat unsure, and he did look like he just tried to stifle a smile. That snapped me into normality and I regained composure. Conscious about how I looked, I fixed my hair in place and straightened my sweatshirt.

"H-Hey. Hi, Dean." I felt uncertain. My hanky was missing, I went through a state of panic… and now Dean Ambrose's appearance in my doorway was befuddling me. And it did delight me. I opened my mouth to make a follow-up statement but every word I'd known of betrayed me and didn't come out. It seemed like he noticed how speechless I was, so he spoke up.

"You left this." He held up my black and purple Harley Davidson motorcycle handkerchief.

"Oh My Gosh!" My hands went to cover my face. When I removed them, I thought I looked like I was nearly crying. It felt like a bullet which had been stuck in my respiratory system for years finally got surgically removed. I was certainly happy. "Thank you, Dean, thank you so much!" I grabbed my handkerchief from his hands and hugged it. I couldn't be more relieved. And I couldn't stop being delighted by Dean's presence. The fact that I nearly had lost something very important to me, and that he was the one to give it back to me – magical.

"I found it under the table minutes after you've just left. I gave it to AJ, but she told me to give it to you, 'cause Seth and her were going elsewhere." He smiled. _Fudge, that dimple_.

"Th-Thank you… You've no – Gosh thank you!" My tongue was literally faltering. I ran a hand through my hair and smiled sincerely.

"Don't mention it." He gently rubbed my left arm. I felt a tickling sensation prickling from the pit of my stomach up to my chest. Though the cloth of my hoodie impeded between our skins, the sensation was still that strong.

And then we were in a smile-lock.

"Jill, who's – Oh!" Because I was so hooked to the entire situation, I completely forgot that Daniel and Cody were in my hotel room. Daniel emerged from behind me, stepping out to greet Dean. And boy was he sort of excited to talk to him.

_Uh-oh. _What I'd been trying to hide earlier was kind of beginning to be exposed. My face felt hot.

"Jon!" The bearhug D-Bry gave him was almost like the one he gave me earlier, only he didn't hoist him up.

_Jon? Must be his real birth name. _Suddenly, I began thinking of how it actually felt to share a hug with him. I shook the thought off.

"Hey, man." Dean hugged back, tapping D-Bry's back.

"You finally did it, proud of you!" Daniel congratulated him as they pulled away from the brotherly hug.

"Thanks, man. It was kinda unexpected." Dean smiled. And then Daniel replied something I wasn't able to make out now, because Cody was suddenly in the scene. As D-Bry and Dean got busy with each other, I felt Cody approach from behind.

"Oh, Ambrose?" I was not sure if Cody asked me, or asked the two other men. Either way, his voice was loud enough and D-Bry invited Cody into the conversation.

"Hey, Cody. This is Dean Ambrose, good friend from the indies, former developmental star, and finally debuting on the roster," D-Bry introduced him to Cody. "But we both know who he really is!" He laughed.

"Yeah, congratulations, man." Cody sincerely said, extending a hand to Dean as he accepted it. "We've always thought highly of you." Cody was just like me: a little too sincere. And it showed.

"Wow. I don't know, man. Don't expect too much," Dean humbly said. "But thank you, really."

"So, why are you here by the way?" D-Bry asked. I swallowed.

"Um, Jill left her handkerchief in the mini-bar. I came to give it to her."

"Oh…" D-Bry answered. Slowly, Cody and him looked at each other and looked at me and then back at Dean. I thought they were figuring things out. _Uh-oh. _

"Is that so?" Cody voiced sarcasm, I thought. I saw D-Bry elbow him and they both suppressed a grin.

"That's great," D-Bry said, "Because our little baby girl here is almost in tears over that hanky she almost lost. She was just about to get it from the mini-bar, actually."

I bowed my head in silence and slight embarrassment. _Screw you, goat-face. _

"Seems like you're her savior, dude." Cody grinned at Dean, who just smiled.

I cleared my throat. "Hey, um. Thanks again, really. Thank you."

"No problem," Dean replied. "Alright guys I'll go now."

"Alright, man," D-Bry and Cody said in unison.

"Jill." He motioned a final wave and smiled.

"Thanks again. See you around," I said. He turned on his heel and walked away.

When he was gone, I made a swift escape from the imminent interrogation by Cody and Daniel and quickly got back into the room, and went straight to the bathroom before they could say a word. After spending minutes inside, though, I realized it was a waste of time and that a confrontation with the two was inevitable so I thought I should just let it happen. There was no escaping anyway.

I emerged from the bathroom and I was met by questioning pairs of eyes, and satirical smiles.

"So… " Cody was lounging on the couch. "We didn't know you were _not_ alone in the mini-bar."

"Well I didn't tell you guys I was alone, either." I knew they were never letting this pass. "Besides, I didn't even plan on being alone, nor did I plan on being un-alone. It just kind of happened. Also, he was not there on his own, there was Seth, and AJ was also – "

"_He, _was not there on _his _own?" D-Bry emphasized, he was on the bed. "Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't know that we are already talking of somebody here other than you, Jill. So, _who_ was with Seth and AJ, again?" Daniel teased. Cody was obviously game with it, too.

I winced. Daniel Bryan was one genius goat-face.

"Dean Ambrose." I voiced slight defeat, knowing that they had already been on suspicion. "Dean was with Seth and AJ. They came to the mini-bar when I was already there, alone at a table."

"Ooooohhhh….. I… Seeeeeeeeee….." Cody responded, prolonging the vowels in an attempt to tease me.

"So that's why you were so okay when you got back here and forgot about me never letting you play earlier, huh?" D-Bry rubbed his chin.

"You guys, look. I know what you're thinking, okay?" I went over to the bed and sat. "Well, quit it, you freakin' barf fags. It's not it."

"Okay." Daniel had a mocking grin across his face. Cody followed up with a whistle. I rolled my eyes.

When I slipped into the blanket, D-Bry said something.

"Jill, I just got one thing to say: Dropping hankies to get a guy? I always thought the modern era rejected that. But with _Jon_, I think it kinda works." He sneered.

"Keep it up, Jilley," Cody mocked.

"Yeah, goodnight…you effin' parasites," I told them with sarcasm as I rolled to my side and hugged a pillow. Then the two men continued chattering and their subject didn't change.

So now they were suspecting. But that didn't mean I had to admit to them. Sure, they knew something was up. But I didn't have to confirm it to them yet.

That night, though… I confirmed it to myself. It was official.

_Man. I've got a huge crush on Dean Ambrose. _


	5. Chapter 5

The next 5 days that followed were sure pressure-packed. It was all work, work, and work. Autograph signings, meet-and-greets, photoshoots, radio interviews, and just promoting the Survivor Series pay-per-view event.

It was during these 5 busy working days that I was sort of… able to, uh.. Alright, there sure is no other term better: I was sort of able to _stalk _Dean Ambrose. I know most of the time, 'stalking' never sounded good. But when I'm doing it, I make sure it doesn't look creepy. So think positive! It was a good type of stalking after all.

During the Smackdown taping and WWE Main Event show, I kinda hung around backstage doing quite nothing. No match booked for me, I did cut a promo on Smackdown, though. Anyways, as I was saying, it was during these shows that I kinda watched him from a distance. I dunno… I kinda observed him.

Once, I saw him with Seth. Well he sorta always stuck with Seth. Ever since that encounter at the mini-bar, I never saw them apart. Adorable.

So yeah, they were outside together. They were at the parking lot, smoking and drinking beer. Ofcourse I was somewhere no one could see me, as I enjoyed secretly watching. Dean was in his jeans, gray hoodie, and a yellow inner shirt. His hair looked adorable – and to me, that meant that his hair was kinda tousled. Like the wind had just swept those golden locks away, they flew in directions of their choice; some were all over his eyes, others frizzed around his ears or on top of his head – this, was adorable to me. Messed up hair, cigarette and beer in hands – he was such a bad boy. I sorta dug it. Oh wait. – I absolutely, violently dig that type of thing.

Watching him, I thought how he was such a mystery. His smile rarely showed, but when it did, it sure had a blowing impact (maybe just to me atleast), like that time at the mini-bar when I saw him smile quite a couple times. On TV when I saw him at FCW, he was always mad and unpredictable and furious in his promos and matches, which made me such a fan. His smile very rarely showed, that it kinda made me crave for it more.

* * *

It was finally Sunday night, Survivor Series. I competed in a fatal 4-way match for the Divas championship against Kaitlyn, AJ, and Melina; Kaitlyn retained the title.

Later that night after taking a shower and getting refreshed, I was backstage with AJ, Kaitlyn, Cody, and D-Bry. We were all gathered in Kaitlyn's locker room, watching the much-anticipated main event match: CM Punk vs. Ryback vs. John Cena in a triple threat match for the WWE Championship.

Ryback lifted Punk over his shoulders, marching across the ring and slamming him down, Shell Shocked. I love Punk, I'm such a fan of his. We did know he was booked to win that night, but as to how he would win, it was always a mystery and it thrilled us all inside the locker room. As Ryback went for the cover, Cena went to break the count. Cena lifted Ryback for the AA, but Ryback was able to meet his way out and counter it, lifting Cena instead, and Shell Shocking him in the ring.

Ryback had just slammed Cena, when the most staggering interference happened…

"W-w-whoa-WHOA!" All five of us went. We were so hooked to the match like ordinary fans and not as wrestlers. We were fulminating.

Three black-clad, anonymous-then men stormed into the ring and attacked Ryback viciously. And there was nearly no difference between the crowd's reaction and the reaction the five of us had.

"And just what the hell is this brilliant thing Mr. McMahon and the Creatives came up with?!" D-Bry expressed in astonishment and curiosity.

"Who the hell are those guys?!" Kaitlyn and Cody questioned.

The three men were all over Ryback, giving cheap shots and not allowing him to get back on his feet.

"Wait a minute," AJ said almost in a whisper, as her chocolate brown eyes remained focused on the screen.

I squinted my eyes towards the TV, and watched closely. That was when I recognized one of the three black-dressed men; there was only one man I knew on the roster who had black hair and half of it bleached with blonde. And upon watching AJ's reaction, I think I guessed it right.

"Seth!" AJ exclaimed as her eyes beamed with excitement, confirming my prediction. Seth was easily recognizable because of his strange hair color. But who were the other two?

"It _is _Seth!" Kaitlyn emphasized. "I think it's the developmental recruits!"

My eyes widened. As far as I could remember, when Daniel and Cody were reading that group message from the Board, they had only mentioned three names of developmental guys who finally made it to debuting on the roster soon. Seth was one of them, and the other two were Roman Reigns and… Dean Ambrose. I thought hard, and suddenly got excited. _Could it be the two of them with Seth there? Could they finally be debuting tonight? _It was hard to tell since they were all clothed in black and this time, only Seth's face was able to get enough exposure. I squinted harder and studied the scene on the screen.

"Kaitlyn, I think you're right!" Cody stood up from the chair.

The three voracious men were now pushing Ryback out of the ring. When all four of them were at ringside, the camera got a good angle of the other guy who had solid black hair in a ponytail.

"Roman Reigns!" Daniel pointed to the TV. Only one mystery guy left. _Come on camera man. Show me what I want to see. _I was excited and couldn't wait for more. The mystery goons were busily keeping Ryback down.

"W-w-wait a minute!"Michael Cole, on commentary, started stammering. "He was a foot away from me, that's Roman Reigns from NXT!" Cole said finally, as Reigns began pulling the TV monitors off the announce-table.

"And that- That's Dean Ambrose! Dean Ambrose has Ryback – and that's Seth Rollins!" Cole confirmed, and I secretly celebrated.

"So this is their official debut?! Daniel, Did Ambrose tell you they were about to debut tonight on pay-per-view?" Cody sounded thrilled.

"No," D-Bry replied. "Jill, he told you?" He shifted to me. I shook my head 'no' and focused back on the TV.

Once the announce-table was clear, Ambrose, Rollins, and Reigns raised Ryback, holding him up in the air, and triple powerbombed him down through the announce-table.

Chaos. We five were all on our feet, shouting at the TV anything we felt like shouting. The camera finally got a good angle from Dean Ambrose, allowing me to see him entirely. Man, he looked so wild, so angry, and all outrageous. They all looked despicably predatory that night.

With Ryback taken out, and Cena motionless in the middle of the ring, Punk went for the cover and pinned Cena 1-2-3, retaining his WWE Championship. With that, the three invaders went over the barricade and disappeared through the crowd.

My eyes were fed more than they could take. It was an over-satisfying scene. Delish.

"Punk wins!" Daniel applauded. "Respect!" He made an impression of Punk and we laughed.

"And if that was their WWE debut," Cody spoke, referring to Dean, Seth, and Roman, "Then what a way for them to finally debut! Sick!" He praised. Couldn't agree with him more. We all loved this pay-per-view.

* * *

Later that night, the _idiots_ were pulling my leg. Yes, at around 1:10 in the morning Cody and Daniel were teasing me in my own hotel room.

"I thought you went drinking tonight with the guys?" I asked Cody, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Changed my mind," he replied tiredly, plopping down on the bed beside me while I focused back on my PSP playing BlazBlue Continuum Shift 2. Nope, there was no PS3 to be found in that hotel.

"And D-Bry, too?"

"Yeah, he's on his way here."

I loved it when these guys' plans on drinking during after shows got cancelled, because I didn't get to be alone during the night. I never went drinking, ever. But I never tried to stop them whenever they felt like they wanted to, ever. It was fine. All I ever asked was for them not to force me to join, so there you go.

"Splendid," I commented dryly. Not any longer after that, D-Bry came through the door.

"I got a deal for us tonight: No one sleeps 'til the sun rises," he suddenly, casually broke to us. "Whoever fails shall wholeheartedly give free lunch tomorrow," he added, taking off his shirt and throwing it into my face.

"Screw you!" I playfully retorted, throwing the shirt back at him. He caught it, and simply threw it on the couch.

"What the hell did you just say?" Cody rose from burying his face into his pillow. Cheeses, sometimes D-Bry really just came up with the most random and unreasonable ideas. "I am utterly tired and nearly falling to sleep now. It won't be fair," he protested, feeling utter defeat.

"I'm not game either, sorry." I set my eyes on the PSP. I felt a weight occupy the bed on my left side, as D-Bry plopped down.

"Losers." After that single comment, a tirade of annoying or funny reasoning statements came out of D-Bry, and Cody and I couldn't care less. I was suffering more 'cause he was right beside me, while Cody could just stay lying on his stomach on my right.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated from my pocket. I paused from my game and set the PSP on my stomach for a while to check my phone. A message from Punk – it was either an insulting or a really funny text message: 'Heyman ripped his pants, his boxers had leprechauns printed on them; I'm suddenly reminded of you.' I let out an eye-shutting, hearty laugh at this. The two idiots from either side of me couldn't help but notice.

But them noticing me turned into another one of their many, perspiring suspicions in the future.

I was typing on my phone for a reply when…

"You seem very happy tonight," D-Bry began. "An admirer who applies for the job of being your new permanent late night textmate-slash-caller?" He wanted to imply something, definitely.

"You moron, Punk texted me something really funny about Heyman ripping his pants." I applied a casual tone as I said this, even trying to chuckle. As I sent my reply, I quickly slipped it back into my pocket and grabbed my PSP.

"Oh really?" Cody butted in. "Daniel you know what, she was so busy on her phone, she wasn't paying attention to you when you were talking about that deal."

"Oh, like you were listening to a thing he was saying about that stupid deal!" I punched Cody in the arm.

"Let me guess." D-Bry lounged on his side, propping up his elbow and holding his head. "Is your admirer a fellow wrestler?" He teased, stroking my hair.

"Is he… new on the roster?" Cody did the same and began stroking my hair from my right side.

It was beginning, I could feel it. Suddenly, there was what seemed like a tirade of rather teasing questions, left and right.

"Is he… a heel?" Daniel drew his face nearer.

"Is he… brilliant at cutting promos?" Cody teased, mimicking Daniel's actions.

"Did he just debut tonight on pay-per-view?"

"Was he dressed in black?"

And so, it began. I lay there, as I kept looking from either side of mine, noticing the loudest expressions of mockery on their faces. I knew where this was leading and I knew exactly who they pertained to. But I wanted to laugh because they were having their wrongest suspicions ever.

"Guys," I spoke, setting my PSP down. "I know what you're thinking, quit it. I told you, it's Punk being too violently funny, look!" I held my phone up, showing them Punk's actual text message.

"Oh, it is Punk." Daniel yanked on his beard. "Why is it him who's texting you tonight?"

"Yeah, why isn't it the _other guy_?" Cody's eyes looked more teasing than ever.

I just stared at them, nonplussed. _And just what are you guys suddenly asking. _After a few moments of pure silence just staring at them, and them back at me, D-Bry spoke again.

"So?"

"Huh?" I asked, a bit shocked.

"Why is that?" Cody questioned.

"Which is why-what?" I snapped.

"Why are you and Ambrose not texting yet?" Daniel finally announced.

I thought for a moment, figuring out what to make of that question (cause it was dumb), and how to answer it. Then, it hit me.

"Um, I don't have his number?" I emphasized, uncertainty in my tone. "And even if I did have it, I wouldn't text him, especially not without any reason, and most especially not this late at night!"

"Oh," Cody said simply, as though to sound satisfied with my answer.

"That's nice, 'cause he is, in fact, on my phone book." D-Bry winked. I swallowed. I actually got…elated.

I was silent before simply saying, "So?" as indifferent-sounding as I possibly could.

"C'mon, Jilley." D-Bry was suddenly taking out his phone. "We know you want to get his number. Let's see…" I think he just began scrolling through his contacts list.

"Um – "

"Jill, we know what will make you happy and that's what we want, so just cooperate, okay? Go, save his number and text Dean Ambrose." Cody began nudging me with his arm. I nudged back with force.

"No," I declared with authority and conviction. "You guys are insane, that is a very creepy idea."

"If you're not saving it, I will be." Daniel snatched the phone from my hands…and started saving Dean Ambrose's number on my phone book. Secretly, I rejoiced. I tried to act as uncaring as possible.

"Fine, do it," I attempted to sound uninterested and helpless. "Like I could do anything."

"Will you quit it, Jill? Just shut up. We know you want it." Cody tickled me by the ribs.

"Stop!" I wiggled out from Cody's tightest, tickling grips.

"Here you go." Daniel handed me back my phone, seemingly done saving Dean's number. _Yes._ I simply took it, and set it down by my side, pretending to be uninterested, and grabbed my PSP.

"What?! Text him!" Daniel insisted. I didn't say anything and picked up from where I'd left off in my game.

"There she goes again," Cody commented, the tone of tiredness in his voice.

"You two parasites, I have nothing important to say to him." I kept my gaze on my handheld. "If you think it's a nice idea for me, whom he's just known for about a week, to text him in the middle of the night, with something really unimportant, then you two are nuts. I am not texting him," I finished.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Okay, Jill," D-Bry broke the silence. "If you won't text him, _I_ will make you text him."

Before I knew it, Daniel quickly took grasp of my phone, which I unintelligently just set on the bed by my side. I had a pocket and I knew that my phone was to possibly encounter this type of danger, and I didn't use my head? Dumb-butt.

"NO!" I yelled, protesting. I tried to take it away from him, but found my arms suddenly held locked by Cody from behind. _Gosh. Oh gosh no. _I certainly, seriously did not like this joke anymore.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure _you _don't sound too creepy." Daniel smiled devilishly, as his thumbs began to roam over my phone. And I couldn't do anything about it.

"Cody, let me freakin' go!" I demanded, wiggling my legs in protest.

"Jill, will you just relax? It's not like we're killing you, we are helping you." He said in my ear, I could feel his conniving smile forming. _Helping? _

"You two are not helping!" I didn't seriously like this. In just a matter of seconds a text message allegedly from _me _would be sent to Dean Ambrose against my will, and I was afraid as heck about what Daniel could possibly write in there and I did think it could be the most embarrassing night of my life and I FREAKIN' COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!

All the senseless debating suddenly stopped.

The three of us seemed to stop moving – I stopped trying to wiggle out, and Cody seemed to mitigate pressure on the lock as well. And Daniel stood there, jaw dropped as he stared at my phone in his hand. He just stood there, silent. It only made me more nervous.

"What?!" I worried.

When he didn't say anything, I was already Leon Kennedy in danger mode on Resident Evil 2.

_Did he say something wrong? Had he sent something that he didn't really mean to send? Did he say something like 'Jill has a crush on you' and hit send right quick? NO! _

"DANIEL YOU FLYIN' FREAK WHAT DID YOU TEXT HIM?!" My voice rose.

"No."

I stared at him, more like non-believing than shocked.

"Actually, I don't even think you still have to." He walked over to the bed and showed my phone to Cody first. Their reaction – I didn't know what to make of it. What was going on?

Finally, they handed me my phone.

And there it was: a message sent from the newest number saved on my phonebook.

_How the heck did that happen? Is there any possibility that I am dreaming? _

Miracles. It actually was a text from Dean Ambrose.

I felt like DiCaprio in Inception.


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, I think I'd simply like to take that back when I said I enjoyed it when Daniel and Cody changed their minds about drinking the night and stayed with me at the hotel instead – that night, I could totally say I would've enjoyed it at full capacity if there weren't two idiots harassing me by their endless teasing. Even so, though, it still didn't really hinder me from experiencing true delight.

'Hi, Jill. It's Dean.' – Sent at 1:25 AM.

The impact of Dean Ambrose's highly unexpected text message was simply overwhelming; it almost took a fashion before I could reply.

'Hey, man. What's up?' I hit send. Cool thing about text messaging is that it gives you power to _sound _as casual as you want and it conceals your true emotions; no sign of eagerness can be detected!

(Note: I'd do my research later so I could insert the name of the creative genius who invented text messaging and thank him here. Hehehe.)

I slowly transferred to the couch and ignored Daniel and Cody, who thankfully, had begun to leave me alone already as they enjoyed the bed and seemed to start falling asleep. Unfortunately, they forgot about D-Bry's stupid deal, I actually disliked it…because I now had a reason to stay up all night.

Just as I lounged down with a different excitement, my BlackBerry vibrated. I wanted to scream.

'Whoa why are you still up?'

I actually had to stifle a laugh at this. So he actually didn't expect me to reply? Now I was seeing a different kind of humor he possessed… _Don't you dare attract me like that, Ambrose. _

'PSP'ing here! Haha! How about you? Why are you still up?'

'Drinking with the guys. Hey I hope you don't mind, I got your number from AJ.'

'Some celebration? You guys deserve it! :) A lot didn't know you guys were debuting on pay-per-view tonight! No one knew! You guys made such an impact. Congratulations! I think I'm you three's number one fan already!'

Oops. Not thinking carefully. Too much sincerity showing. I texted him some follow-up statement to conceal the overly eager and sincere message I'd previously sent.

'Oh and no, I don't mind. Totally fine! :)'

While I waited for a reply, I grabbed my PSP and resumed to my game.

"Midget, be sure to get some sleep!" Cody's voice startled me. When I glanced at him, he had this huge smile of mockery. "Can't get enough of Ambrose, eh? Very unladylike, Jilley."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh shut up," I retorted. "Go ahead. I'll sleep in a jiffy." _Or not, _I added mentally.

My phone vibrated. Almost quicker than Flash, my hands had immediately dropped the handheld gaming device and they were all over my phone in a millisecond.

'Geez, thanks a lot. You watched?'

'I did. We all did. We were going nuts in the back! You three are badass! \m/'

'Not really, just passionate I guess ;p'

Our texting continued for the next few minutes talking about stuff like why they were all in black at the main event match earlier – ofcourse he had to keep it secret and keep us all anticipating.

* * *

At 2:35 AM, I was still texting with Dean Ambrose.

The interesting part was, after an hour of texting, his words began to slur. His next text messages had a couple of typos in them, some minimally misspelled words.

I don't know if I was just half-asleep already, or maybe Dean Ambrose was just drunk already.

Either way, the entire situation was being cute from my perspective.

'Whattaa fun ny feelngg'

Translation: "What a funny feeling." His reply, despite being typographically imprecise, was still clear.

'You're feeling funny, eh? =))' – Came my reply, right at my sleepiest state. My lids felt real heavy.

His reply came, right at his drunkest state.

'Imm rely glad u relpyied to my msg tnighty,;;'

Even with lids closely shutting, I was still laughing at his drunken-reply. When I re-read his text, I realized it wasn't just his slurred texting that I should notice, but the message he _desperately_ (I'd like to think so) tried to deliver despite his drunkenness.

Translation: "I'm really glad you replied to my message tonight."

A smile slowly spread on my lips, lids growing even heavier. Ofcourse I was curious about what he really meant with that.

I yawned, my thumbs doing a dance across my keypad, thinking of what to reply, again at my sleepiest state.

'Is that so?' I replied. After a few moments I suddenly realized my reply sounded quite provocative.

But being sleepy helped me forget about being over-conscious about anything, and I told myself to let it go. Besides, I had hit 'send' anyway, so there was no taking back.

I was on the brink of completely falling into the dream world when, for the last time that night, my phone vibrated, sending alarming waves through my brain and forcing my lids to fly open again.

Sprawled over the couch half-awake, I grabbed my phone from under the pillow and checked his text.

'Jill, yourre such a cutie cute baby'

My then-nearly shutting sleepy eyes suddenly widened as I stared bemused at Dean Ambrose's text message. I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to reply anymore. But I knew I was smiling like a maniac in the middle of the night.

I guess, out of sleepiness, I failed to think of something really logical to reply. After holding the phone for minutes since that _controversial _reply of Dean Ambrose, I finally grew a nerve to begin typing something into the reply box (still at my sleepiest state).

'What…are you suddenly…saying? Haha I kinda dig it you know.'

And then I was out.

The morning after that, I found out I hadn't hit 'send'. And there I was, waking up to a beautiful morning with the phone in my hand, the text I'd typed still raw at the text box, _thankfully_ unsent.

PS: I did my research and here's what I found out:

"Friedhelm Hillebrand, along with his colleague Bernard Ghillebaert, invented the technology, protocol and rules that allowed text messaging. Neil Papworth was the first person in the world to send a SMS or text messaging."

Who do I thank now, then? Oh well, huge thanks to Hillebrand, Ghillebaert, and Papworth! Text-messaging is fully appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7

After figuring out that morning that I hadn't sent the message, I was quite thankful and mouthed a short prayer of thanks to God before I replaced the unsent message with another one.

"Hi. Fell asleep last night, sorry. Was quite too tired. Goodmorning! :)"

I hit 'send' and got up from the couch I'd slept into. I noticed that Daniel and Cody had woken earlier than me, and were not in the hotel room anymore. It was 8:00 in the morning. How dare they not wake me up for workout? I slowly paced into the bathroom to shower.

Halfway through my shower, I heard the voices of the two as they made their presence known. When I emerged from the bathroom, I saw Cody and Daniel with some Belgian waffles and omelets, matched with thirst-quenching-looking bottles of iced tea. My stomach began growling in sheer desire of some meal satisfaction.

"Perfect," I muttered in delight, slowly walking towards them.

As we ate, Daniel walked over to the TV set and started tinkering with the disc racks and DVD player.

"How about some bone-chilling flick?" He held up the "Chasm" DVD with a nasty smile.

Who the heck watches horror movies at 8:30 in the morning?!

* * *

Chasm was an indie horror film that I'd never seen until that morning, and I wish I never decided to watch it with them that day. I was never a fan of horror movies only because I was a fraidy-cat through and through, and I'd always admitted to that. I'd go for action flicks, sci-fi, comedy, and thriller, but never horror flicks.

It had a really frightening story (or frightening enough just for me), which revolved around this cursed side-mirror of an automobile where an ethereal deep hole, the chasm, existed. It was controlled by a really frightening creature called the "Aabreph" (aw-bref), who was a goblin with a really grotesque face, clothed in darkness. He was responsible for sucking souls into his lair, into the chasm.

I couldn't have been more frightened after the movie. D-Bry had seen it once before, so watching it for the second time had almost no effect on him. Cody was tense throughout the entire movie, letting out quiet gasps and all, but I was the worst. I certainly wouldn't want to tell you how it went for me.

All I knew was, after watching it, I was kinda hallucinating. Can you believe that? It was a great morning, sun shining bright like a diamond (Oh wait…diamonds don't shine), and I was freaking out the entire day? I couldn't seem to get the Aabreph off my head, and I was paranoid. I couldn't even go to the bathroom alone, or stare at any kind of mirror for long! I literally had to ask Cody for some company in the bathroom.

"Cody," I said tensely.

"What?"

"I feel like urinating."

"O….kay?" He gave me a questioning look. "The bathroom is just a few leprechaun-steps away from the bed."

"I know," I answered.

"Then go!"

"Come with me please."

He had the best moment of his life making fun of my strange fear.

* * *

Only two hours and Monday Night RAW would already kick off that night, and I was still terrified, terrified even more with the fact that it was already night time. I had been a complete paranoid freak the entire day and couldn't seem to do anything about it. Either Daniel or Cody was accompanying me to different places in the arena. I didn't care. I just couldn't be alone. Until…

"Jill, Stephanie wants to see you in her office." One of our writers, nicknamed 'Leni', had appeared out of nowhere, his words almost came to startle me.

"Alright." I got up and looked at D-Bry. We were in his locker room and had been eating cheesecakes.

"Don't. Tell. Me. You still need me to come with you." His face was of bewilderment.

"Actually, I do. So please. Please take everything into conside – "

"Daniel, Mr. McMahon is calling you. He needs you to discuss your match tonight," Leni spoke again.

"Great, so then we can go to the office together," I commented with relief.

"Vince isn't in the office, though. He's in the arena right now." Leni's words twisted knots in my body.

_No shift._

I started walking alone around the building on my way to the office with all hard-mustered confidence. To my relief, the hallways weren't empty and I encountered a few Superstars and Divas along the way, and a lot of staff. I made it safe and sound to Steph's office and we discussed about her life. Yes, I couldn't believe she actually wanted to see me to exchange ideas about her family, which was real sweet and kind of an honor for me, to be honest. She said she just wanted to catch up. We talked for 20 minutes, and then I finally went out of the door to go back to the locker room.

And this was where the problem struck: On my way back, the halls were not as filled with people as they were earlier. They were practically empty, and the sound of my heavy breathing and footsteps were the only thing audible that moment. I let out a shudder at the thought of the ambiance surrounding me. It also didn't help that it indeed had gotten just darker outside, through the window glasses were pitch-black images and a few white lights, and my mind wouldn't stop imagining scary and freaky scenarios.

I trembled as I walked around the seemingly empty building. When scary things wouldn't stop popping in my head, I closed my eyes and tried my best to clear it. But I couldn't help imagining ghastly things, and the Aabreph creature and just the whole Chasm movie! I was silently trudging, but inside I was dead terrified. My heart was beating so loud and hard, I could feel it through my chest. Each time I encountered a mirror or anything glassy enough to see my reflection, I looked down and kept striding.

I still didn't come across anyone, and it was still quite a long way to the locker room. It was almost surreal, I felt like I was being manipulated. Like I was in some kind of simulation. I walked past the packages that contained stacks of papers. My head was still down as I kept walking.

Then, I heard the papers scuffle. I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes wide. I didn't whirl around to see what freaky stuff had just happened behind me, but I didn't continue walking until the worse sound was heard: I thought I just heard some papers fly and fall on the floor.

_What the heaven! Where did the wind come from?!_

A lump formed in my throat, and panic was suddenly there, rising and never falling. I started to pick up the pace and began walking faster, taking quicker steps as my heart kept skipping beats.

I really felt like being watched, and decided not to run even when I wanted to, afraid that if I showed a hint of panic to whoever it was that I thought was watching, things would be more difficult.

I kept up with my quick pace, all the dread and panic in my body. I had walked long enough now, and had nothing in mind but to rush to the locker room ASAP.

When I made a right to the corridor that connected to the hallway that lead to the locker room, I just knew right then and there that I was about to be sucked into the chasm.

Stopping dead in my tracks, I couldn't believe the presence that stood before me.

A toy-sized creature, about 4 feet short, clothed in a black coat that fell to its feet, his bloody hands held up and ready to claw against my flesh, who had the most monstrous bloody face I'd ever seen was in front of me.

_It's. The. Aabreph. The Aabreph!_ My conclusion gave me the most alarming shiver ever.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" I almost didn't recognize the sound of my own voice. I let out a scream which I felt I'd never let out before. And before I knew what I was doing, I hastily turned on my heel and sprinted to the opposite direction.

I was running fast. Panic, dread, adrenaline, and sheer terror were all convoluted in my body, pushing me on edge. I was sprinting fast like I was in Temple Run. I could hear tiny but quick footsteps behind me, and the sound didn't seem to fade out no matter how far I'd run. As I scurried, I took a moment to glance over my shoulder. I couldn't believe it.

The Aabreph was chasing me.

"Get away from me!" I cried. My legs were having the most intense workout. I shuddered when I heard the Aabreph let out a gnarly growl. It resounded through the halls. I couldn't be more frightened.

I wanted the entire chase scene to end already, but the Aabreph wouldn't stop! I didn't know what direction I was going; I just knew I had to get away from him and never stop running.

I never stopped feeling my heart through my chest, pounding hard, and pumping blood through my veins. I was running away from death, and I didn't know when it'd stop.

"Aaaaahhhhh!" I shrieked once more.

I was now running a long, narrow hallway filled with antique tables, whose existence I kept wondering about. Far across, I could see a passage to the right and it seemed like the only direction to go to. The hallway was dead-narrow and the aged tables were contracted in it that there was almost no space for a human being to pass through there. I had to mount on the row of tables, and literally walk on them (or sprint on them), to move ahead.

I was on the tables, running hastily and carefully at the same time, and I could feel the Aabreph's steps on the tables. He still hadn't stopped chasing me.

I scampered on the last table when I reached the end of the hall, and the only way to go is to make a conscious turn to the passage on the right.

Straight from the surface of the antique table, I leapt my way to the passage on my right, soaring as though a bird, and collided with something.

Everything happened so fast. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor, my arms tightly wrapped around a neck, my small frame seemingly meandered against a bigger body underneath me on the floor, and I seemed like the most terrified person in the world then. I had just strangled down a man to the floor. I almost didn't remember colliding with him when I made the jump.

"Ow," the man underneath me groaned in a low voice, probably feeling the pain of the bump he took against the floor when I accidentally throttled him down.

"Help me, help me! He's going to get me!" My eyes were closed and I was a broken record, but it was all I could say. It was all I could say to a stranger that I had just strangled down. My arms tightened around his neck in fear, as we remained on the floor. The side of my head was pressed against his hard chest, and I could hear his relaxed heartbeat.

Even with my weight and my tightest grips, he forced to sit up. Our butts were on the floor now, mine was specifically occupying the space between his spread-out legs, but I was still coiled around him and wouldn't let go.

"Calm down," the man said, "Who is going to get you?" His voice was filled with concern while it remained low, but most of all…it sounded familiar.

With my head still pressed against his chest, my eyes suddenly popped open. _Dean Ambrose? _The thought got me even more uptight than I already was. 'Cause if I was right… I'd be the most embarrassing person on the planet then.

I abruptly looked up at the man I was clutching so tight to. A pair of icy blue eyes drilled into mine.

It was Dean Ambrose. _I think I'd rather be sucked into the chasm right about now._

With that, I didn't know if which was a worse feeling of panic – The fact that the Aabreph had come to life and began chasing me, or the fact that I had collided into Dean Ambrose and entangled limbs with him. My eyes were on him, my mouth slightly open but couldn't find the words to say. I was too overwhelmed to answer.

But I answered anyway, "The Aabreph! He's hunting me down!" I didn't have any rational brain cell anymore to even give a proper answer. But it was true. The Aabreph was hunting me down. As a matter of fact, if Dean Ambrose and I still didn't get up at that point, freakin' Aabreph would catch us…and it would be too late for us to escape.

I heard the familiar gnarling just behind me again. The Aabreph was there, and was ready to suck the souls of Dean Ambrose and Jill Oliveira into the chasm. I glanced over my shoulder to confirm my conclusion, and I was right. He was there on the table, all bloody and gory and ready to devour us.

"No! Get away!" I cried and couldn't do anything but grasp Dean Ambrose and bury my head into his chest.

"Hornswoggle, cut that shit out!" Dean bellowed, his voice authoritative. My eyes widened. _Hornswoggle?_

As my arms unconsciously remained wrapped around Dean, I half-whirled around to look at the creature behind me. And I couldn't believe it. It was Hornswoggle. It was Hornswoggle all along, dressed up as The Aabreph. But why?

I eyed him suspiciously, all the dread and panic beginning to fade away. I saw him smile sheepishly and "Sorry," was all he could say.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Dean interrogated.

I was still overwhelmed. "What- Who ordered you to do this?!" I questioned, slight anger in my tone.

"No one, I just heard your friends teasing you about it." He rubbed his eyes, smudging the red paint on his face. So, it turned out… Hornswoggle was, ironically, WWE's _biggest _prankster. I wanted to crush him. With that, he just ran off, laughing, and shouting 'I love you Jill' as he got farther.

Things seemed hard for me to absorb. The entire day, I felt like being haunted after that stupid horror movie. I was paranoid, and fear wouldn't leave me alone. My mind's eye was nonstop in creating horrific images, and then…my horrendous imaginations came true, almost, and I practically had an exhausting chase scene with the Aabreph…or so I thought. The fact that it was Hornswoggle all along, pulling on some practical joke on me was either demoralizing or just purely funny.

And on top of all that, my collision with Dean Ambrose, the guy I'd recently had a crush on, was like some kind of dose injecting a mix of panic and elation in my veins.

Speaking of which, I was still weaving limbs with him at this point, even with Hornswoggle already gone. I guess I was too overwhelmed to move a muscle, but most of all, I think I was just too embarrassed at the time and couldn't think of the next proper move to make. Either that…or I was just secretly enjoying my little strange cuddling with Dean Ambrose.

_Oh snap. _And I literally snapped back to reality. Our physical surroundings were relatively silent, and neither of us was saying a word.

That was when I realized how awkward our position was – Dean sat on the floor, legs spread apart, my butt occupying the space in them as my arms encircled his neck and my legs…snaked…around…his…waist.

When I realized everything, I slowly pulled away, my arms breaking loose on his shoulders for a while. My hands uncertainly grabbed on his legs, groping for support, and they just rested there until I was already several inches apart from his torso. My legs also decided to break the grip from his waist, propping up my knees as my feet touched the floor. I was still between his legs.

Before I realized it, Dean Ambrose and I were seemingly, accidentally in the galloping-horse-sex position, only with clothes on.

Very slowly, I awkwardly looked down at our then-conjoint groins and then back up at his face. He pushed his tongue to the inside of his left cheek, his eyes plain unreadable. My mouth was dry and I felt blood rushing all over my face. I prayed that the intense blush would go unnoticed, but the light in the hallway made me feel hopeless.

It was indeed the most awkward, and embarrassing moment of my life. But I couldn't deny the cuteness I found in it.

"S-Sorry," I stuttered as I quickly pushed my hands and legs on the floor to get myself up. I began fixing myself, dusting off the dirt from my clothes and straightening them into place. I saw Dean get on his feet, too.

"Are you all right?" He touched my shoulder. I looked up at him. His height towered over me.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I replied. "Hey, look. I'm sorry for kinda knocking you down."

"Wasn't your fault. It's okay." I saw the corner of his mouth lift, and suddenly that dimple was there again. _Holy cow. _

"I was just really scared stiff, and was being reckless. Are you hurt?" I chewed the inside of my cheek.

"Nope." His voice was laid-back, his expression cool. "Your first time to be Hornswoggle's victim?"

"Yeah. I still can't believe it."

When he smiled again, I caught it too like it was some kind of contagious disease. Suddenly, we were both chuckling. The embarrassment was beginning to die down.

"I'm such a mess," I commented on my current state, letting out a chuckle.

"Still cute, though." I couldn't be sure of what I heard, but his words sure sent chills up my spine.

I just laughed rather nervously. His words reminded me of his drunken text messages last night. I combed my hair into place.

"Um, sorry about last night." My hand went one final run through my hair. "I actually fell asleep."

"Oh, don't worry about it." He swept his hair to the side, looking down. It did seem like he wanted to dismiss the thought of all his slurry texts last night.

"What were you doing by the way? Or where were you going…before you, came across me?"

"I've been to the rooftop with Seth." He leaned back against the wall. "On our way back to the locker room, AJ stumbled across us and they went somewhere else. I had to walk alone," he explained. His natural drunken-voice was rather divine to the ears. I wonder if I was just insane.

"Wow," I responded, amused. "So, do you guys…often do that? Rooftop bonding?"

"Pretty often, yeah. Almost every show, just to have a good time before the show starts." He licked his lips and pressed them together.

"I think it's pretty cool." I was vibrant. "I've always thought the ambiance up there is just incredible."

"Oh? Maybe you should join us some time, then." He slipped his hands in the pocket of his hoodie.

I was hesitant to say something, perhaps a little bit stunned by his statement.

"You two won't mind?" I asked.

"Nope," he answered coolly. "You should join us, yeah. You and AJ. Seth will be thrilled to have her around."

"Okay." I smiled shyly. "Next time, then…you two are gonna have new rooftop buddies."

His lips curved into a small smile. "Right, so… how about we go back to the locker room area now?"

"That's about right." I lightly scuffed my shoe on the floor.

"Atleast you won't have to walk alone now," he said.

"And you won't be walking alone, either," I reminded him.

"And you can rest assured that Hornswoggle isn't gonna harm you, too." He gave me a reassuring smile, before inching closer to me and brushing my hair that fell to my waist, his fingers having contact with the small of my back.

_Dean Ambrose. Whatever are you doing to me._

With all the anxiety gone, replaced with confidence and enjoyment, we began walking together.


	8. Chapter 8

I was in the women's locker room all stunned, still. As I sat on a steel chair, I stared into blankness like how a mentally deranged individual would.

"Jilley?" Aksana's voice startled me, making me snap back to reality. I looked up to her on saw a smile crawling across her bloody red lips. I wondered if she was just about to laugh at the way I emptily looked as I sat there, or maybe her smile meant something else.

My overthinking sessions struck again. _Has she seen Dean Ambrose walking me back to the locker room? _If that had been it, I'd get yet one of those hot-seat segments that only the WWE Divas could deliver.

"You okay?" Her eyes were curious, but the smile wasn't fading.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." I pressed my nose. "You're included in the backstage segment we have later, right?"

"Yes. I was just about to ask if you've already studied the script. Looks to me like you already did!"

I chuckled. "How do you manage to stay lovely, you sweet woman?" I grabbed her hand and caressed it.

"Oh Jilley, always the toady in the women's locker room." She played with my fingers. "I could actually ask you the same thing, you know."

I arched a brow. Her smile grew wider.

"Has someone been keeping you lovely lately?" The smile that reached her eyes spelled speculation and from there, I knew exactly what she referred to.

I swallowed. So I was right. Maybe she had seen us. _Uh-oh_.

It took too long and I couldn't respond. "That's okay, honey," she giggled. "Share more about it later." She gave me a peck on the cheek and walked out of the door.

I literally palmed my face on this. Then I folded my arms on my knees and buried my head in them.

And then I wondered why girls were naturally eager about stuff like those. Women.

And then I wondered why I mentally talked about women like that as though I was not a female myself. Weird women.

As my head stayed down around my folded arms, a strange scent infiltrated my nostrils. Strange, but very likeable. It wasn't any longer that I realized that it was coming from my shirt's long sleeves, which ate my forearms and I could just smell them as I remained in that position.

It was Dean Ambrose's scent. The smell seemed to have pasted to my clothes, my skin, and just all over me, after that little tight and unyielding clutching of mine to him earlier. I couldn't frickin' help but smile as my vision faded out to white, and the memory faded in. Ohhhh maaaan.

I had just been hugging Dean Ambrose earlier, hadn't I? His scent permeated my senses, spreading through my head and into my lungs like it was some kind of venom… I was euphoric for a moment.

I shot my head back up, and was unaware that the smile didn't leave my face just yet. When I looked around the locker room, Aksana was back, and she had been staring at me wide-eyed.

"My, my Jilley!" She half-shrieked, inching her way toward me as she knelt before me.

It occurred to me. I was probably flushing red all over my face, and I was unconsciously smiling like nuts. Her question to me was reasonable: "Have you been on drugs?"

* * *

After the show, I walked in the men's locker room to look for Cody. As I pushed the door open, I came across D. Young, Titus, Slater, and McIntyre positioned in a circle while animatedly discussing something. They seemed to be so engrossed into their discussion that they didn't notice I walked in. When I inched closer to the boys to ask if they'd seen Cody, their words magnetized my ears and immediately caught my attention.

"Yeah, man, he got that fan right in the jaw!" D. Young stuck his comb in his fro.

"But he was kinda seen bleeding from the mouth, too," Titus asserted, his eyes all wide and excited.

"You idiots." Heath stepped in closer. "Kinda bleeding? I was within ten feet when it happened; the kid was a bloody mess!"

"Dumbass, it wasn't a kid," Drew protested. "The fan's totally an adult man, unripe and stupid enough to embark on a fight with Ambrose."

Silent and wide-eyed and still unnoticed by the four men debating in front of me, I felt like prying into their conversation the moment I heard Dean Ambrose's name. And they talked about blood. It must be serious.

Suspicious, ever so tiny, at the time nosy, but most of all, concerned, I butted in their convo.

"Hey, gentleman," my deep, almost virile voice startled them. They all looked down to me, four pairs of stunned eyes bearing holes into mine. They were nothing but four giants towering over me. I smiled sheepishly at them. "Someone got beat up tonight?"

In actuality, I was sure I heard them talk about Dean Ambrose beating up a fan. I just needed confirmation, and some details.

"Trying to be an undercover agent?" Heath mocked, his ridiculously ugly smirk beaming. I'd always envied his dazzling hair, though.

I smirked back and paused for a moment. "You should've atleast figured that if I was going undercover, I wouldn't have gone showing up to you guys like this and asking you all directly," I fired back.

Small chuckles and hard-stifled laughs came out from his friends. Slater's face was uneasy. Dang I loved pwning that guy. Ownage baby.

"Well, little Jilley," D. Young began, draping an arm over my shoulder, "news is that, that new recruit from developmental Ambrose fought with a fan tonight."

Upon hearing his words, a feeling of worry spread over me but I concealed it under a coat of disinterest.

"Oh," I commented dryly. "So was there a lot of blood?" I looked up to Darren with staged eagerness, though the weight of my worrying about Dean Ambrose was slightly overpowering.

"There was, kid." Titus pinched my cheek. I wrinkled my face slightly, showing that I wasn't impressed by his pinching my cheek, or by D. Young's heavy arm weighing me down. Most of the time I wondered if these boys just forever saw me as some rag doll.

Titus had just said there was blood. The amount of anxiety surging through me increased.

"Typical _Bullet_," Drew spoke, "always eager for some blood." He cracked a playful smile. I forced back a cooperative smile, trying to hide the fretfulness that had started in me.

"Too bad you didn't witness it. It was action-packed," Heath said.

"Man, how could have I missed that?!" I faked excitement once more. "So, was it really hard-hitting? Did one of them badly have to be sent to the hospital?"

Translation: "Is Dean hurt? Where is he now?" I couldn't be more worried.

"The poor fan was bloodied up pretty good, Ambrose suffered a few cuts but he's nowhere near damaged," Drew explained.

It still bothered me. I knew Dean could handle himself, but I just couldn't help thinking of the entire story. Why did he hurt someone tonight? What did really happen?

"Ofcourse he's nowhere near damaged!" Heath protested. "Did you see the mess on the fan's face? That Ambrose guy is an animal. We shouldn't be surprised, really, having heard from many others about how he grew up in a really filthy and dangerous place in Cincinnati."

I cringed on the inside. For a moment right there I just strongly disagreed with Slater calling Dean an animal. I mentally bludgeoned Slater's head with barbed wire for being too judgemental. After all, I was sure none of us knew the whole story. No one had the right to judge Dean like that.

"Dude, I don't blame the guy for bloodying that jerk up." Titus said to Darren, whose arm was still on my shoulder.

"Neither do I," Drew acquiesced. "The officials who separated them said the fan was a complete ass, coming at Dean backstage and they didn't even know how he got in there."

"Yeah, man," Darren complied with the two, slowly letting go of me. "Sometimes it don't matter no more whether or not you're a Superstar, ya know? When ya gotta defend yourself, ya do it under any circumstances!"

_That's it, Darren. You're downright correct about that! _I secretly, totally sided with D. Young, Titus, and Drew. Slater's mind must be real twisted to think otherwise. I wanted to hug the three other men for their opinions. Though I'd barely known him at the time, I just knew that Dean wouldn't do such a violent thing without his reasons. Maybe he really had to, or atleast felt like he had to.

Whatever it was, there was a reason he did that. I was sure. And I wanted to find out.

While the four men continued debating, I decided I was done with my task there.

"Ugh, I actually just wanted to ask if you guys had seen Cody," I said suddenly, trying to apply much indifference to my tone. I even faked a yawn to convince them I was blasé about the whole thing. "Alright, gentlemen. Later!"

Without waiting for them to respond I darted off the door and outside the locker room.

I was half-sprinting down the hall, unsure of where I wanted to go to, as thoughts battled in my head. Like a bolt out of nowhere, my eyes caught Cody dashing his way toward my direction, an unreadable expression on his face.

"I've been looking for you high and low," Cody said under bated breath, holding me at arm's length.

"Fancy that. I was just in your locker room doing the same thing." My face was nonplussed.

"Listen, Ambrose got – " Cody trailed off as I interrupted his words.

"The guys have told me. Where's he at?" At this point, I could no longer conceal the worry I felt.

"He's with the medics."

Cody and I immediately rushed to the clinic.


	9. Chapter 9

Cody and I walked through the clinic doors and spotted Seth on a chair, his phone cradled between his ear and shoulder.

When his calm gaze met ours, he hung up.

"Seth," I said as soon as we approached him. "Is Dean all right?"

"He's fine." Seth rose from his seat. "He's got a cut under his eye, and is now getting his arm tended."

"He broke his arm?" Cody asked.

"No, but it kinda got grazed by the knife." Seth's gaze was still calm, his voice laid-back, and his expression cool. As though nothing serious happened.

"The fan tried to stab him?!" I questioned, my voice shuddering. Why did it have to get that far?

"Yeah, but it's all good. Dean just took a few scrapes. Besides, the psycho guy is a pretty mess." He adjusted his ponytail. "The fan's face looks so different now, his peers probably won't recognize him."

And when Seth cracked a cocky smile, I wondered if it kinda always happened to Dean for Seth to be this used to it. I also thought about how the crazy stabber looked before and after. By how Seth was telling it, it seemed like he pretty much got bludgeoned by Dean Ambrose. I slightly shuddered.

"But who was that guy? And why the sudden attack?" Cody asked, curiosity written all over his mustache.

"It was, uh," Seth breathed heavily. Finally, I could detect some seriousness in his face. "It was someone Dean has known for a long time. Some terrible man from his past." He shook his head. "You see, my bestfriend is someone who's accused of many things which are completely false. Unfortunately, this jackass demands revenge for something Dean didn't do. More unfortunately, Dean hasn't backed down in any fight of his life, and never will… Hence, the bloody damage." Seth smiled.

Cody nodded, understanding. But even though he wasn't saying it, I knew Cody was just as stunned as I was upon hearing everything that Seth said. Now with a grasp of a little bit of Dean Ambrose's background, we couldn't match the calmness that Seth put on. I couldn't be relaxed, but was doing my best to hide it.

"Where is he?" I looked up to Seth, tucking a lock of my hair behind my ear.

"Right there in the second cubicle," he motioned.

My eyes trailed to where his hand pointed to, and caught sight of the curtains closing around the cubicle, with shadows of about two medics moving around. I wanted to immediately walk to where Dean was, but as always, I was hesitant.

I gave Seth an uncertain look, as though asking him if it was okay to walk up to Dean already.

Like Seth was able to hear my unvoiced intentions, he said to both Cody and I, "Come on." He softly smiled before turning on his heel to walk to where Dean was. We followed.

Maybe this stuff kinda always happened. I could tell.

When we were already standing in front of the closed curtains of the cubicle, we let Seth go in first.

"Hey braah, ya good?" We heard him ask Dean.

There was no vocal response from Dean.

"Cody and Jill want to see you," Seth said, almost in a whisper.

"Did you tell her- them?" We heard Dean's low and uneasy voice. I imagined his face displeased as he said the words.

Cody and I gave one another a blank expression. Maybe he didn't want us to see him, yet. My fingers fidgeted and one of my feet danced in anxiety.

"Nah. Some guys have probably told them. Did you forget you two were not alone when you fought?" Seth countered, his voice almost a little vexing but droll in a way.

Then a moment of silence followed and all we heard were medical tapes being pulled and wrapped around human skin, and scissor blades clanking.

After a few moments, Seth popped his head out of the curtains. He cocked his head slightly to his right, signaling us to go inside. I stepped through the curtains and into the cubicle, with Cody just a step behind me.

When my gaze touched on him, I kind of froze. Dean was sitting on the stretcher, shirtless – but that wasn't why I froze. Even with bandage, his wounded left arm was a foul sight. With the blood lingering in the thick white strips around his arm, I could tell the cut was quite deep and just nasty. And even with his head kept low as we walked in, I could see the cut under his eye, which was just a short red dash on his face. I had suffered same cuts and scrapes before and had dealt with them, but seeing it on someone else just kind of gave me creeps.

The medics left and there were now four of us in the _cube_. I knew that he knew we already entered, but I felt that he was probably uncomfortable or even peeved that we saw him at that very state. His gaze remained on the floor, and when he looked up to meet mine, his stare was hard.

I went cold. So quickly, he looked away and swept his greasy hair out of his face. _He must be pissed._ I felt stupid. But more importantly, I was somewhat hurt. For obvious reasons, it was just a little painful to receive coldness from Dean Ambrose… especially when we had just started to, quite get along.

I dismissed the minor pain and tried hard to keep a straight face.

"Okay. You don't look all right." Cody drew nearer him.

"I'll live," Dean replied coolly, his eyes shortly meeting Cody's.

"Can you move your arm?" Cody focused on Dean's wounded arm.

"A little." Dean's mouth pressed into a hard line, his blue eyes dark and aloof. I couldn't imagine just how excruciating the wound was.

"Did uh," Cody spoke uncertainly, "did the board speak with you yet?"

"Yeah, Vince talked to me already. Got a little reprimand, but atleast he's not suspending me." He licked his lips.

"It's good that Vince and the board are good at analyzing situations, you know," Seth told us. "For Christ's sake, the frickin' psycho nearly killed him with that knife! Dean just tried to defend himself."

"And what happened to the man who stabbed you?" I asked, looking intently at Dean who still didn't dare look me in the eye. I waited for his response. Ofcourse it never came. I felt my heart getting stitched.

"The officials took care of him, sent him to the hospital and stuff," Seth answered to me for him instead.

"By the way others have said it, it seems that you've really wrecked him." Cody nervously chuckled, trying to lighten up the mood in the cube. "Can the jerk even walk?"

Dean glanced at my direction rather sheepishly but indifferently before responding to Cody, "I gave him less than the damage that he deserved, quite frankly. And yes, I let him be able to walk, still."

_He let him walk, still? So given the chance, he would've injured him for good? _There went my mind again.

After a few moments, Cody realized we had to go, and told the two guys that we would be going. I hated it, because I would be leaving the clinic without even catching a word directly from Dean, not even a direct eye-contact! Just where was all this coldness of him coming from?

But when we were about to leave, an ounce of hope still boosted me up. _Maybe I can still get him to talk to me. _Just one word. Even just a smile. Okay, maybe smiling would still be hard for him at this point. Okay, just one word. Or just one eye-to-eye moment with him, without the coldness. Please.

I couldn't stand the coldness any longer.

I took a deep breath and attempted to say a word to him for the last time that hour.

Looking intently at him, I spoke with sincerity, "Get better, okay?"

All I got was an emotionless nod, and an icy stare that didn't even meet my gaze, but instead focused on the ground.

A microscopic wave of heartache went through me, and I felt as though a twine of red ants raided my heart, feasting on it in diminutive, agonizing bites.

I concealed the pang I felt under a cloak of a civil smile, even when he still wasn't looking at me. I turned to Seth and saw him give me a sympathetic smile, like he was telling me, _I'm sorry he acts this way. Just be patient and be more understanding_. I forced another smile before walking past Seth.

But I didn't understand.

I walked in here, with the very intention of checking up on him, wanting to show a little concern. I understood how he was pissed with what he had just gotten into and the wounds he took. He was aloof and standoffish, but atleast he was talking to Cody! In a cold manner, yes, but he still responded to every question Cody threw him!

He would talk to Cody, but not to me? Why? The whole time I was tolerating the unfriendliness, and during the last minute I dropped my weapon and attempted to speak to him one last time and I still didn't get him to say a word to me, let alone get him to look me in the eyes with a little bit of pleasantry!

I didn't get anything. What I didn't understand was why he was cold to me. Was this really still the same Dean Ambrose who I collided with, and unintentionally went hugging with earlier tonight? Because it was really hard to tell now that he had just given me an ample amount of coldness. Where was it coming from? Did I do something?

Or had I just done the stupid mistake of half-expecting him to act comfortably around me, and be nice to me and all warm-hearted to me like we were close? Why would I expect him to act like that? Because I thought we were getting along already? Because I was ridiculously hugging with him earlier before the show during that stupid chase scene? What an idiot I was!

By nature, expecting was a mistake. Expectations led us to disappointments. But to expect someone you liked to do something or act in a specific manner around you was a bigger mistake – which I committed. I wished I was more careful… well atleast there hadn't been much damage, yet.

_Dean Ambrose. I do not know you full-well, yet. I wish I figured that sooner._

I sighed in disenchantment as Cody and I left the clinic.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hello everybody, how are you? This is going to be my first ever author's note in this story, and this story is my first ever story on this site, so this is going to be my first ever author's note in my entire life! **

**And for this one, the question I'd like to ask you is this: Do you think Jill is being a little too highly emotional? Or is she just not understanding enough of Dean's case? Or is it that Dean is just a total jackbutt? Which one is it? ;P The more opinions, the merrier! Tell me what y'all think of this! Will appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer(delayed, lol): I only own my OC, Jill Oliveira. And for the previous chapters, I own the Crimson Combat: Inflamed video game, the stupid and ridiculous "Chasm" horror film, and ofcourse... THE AABREPH! That lame and stupid Aabreph. Hehehe.**

**To anyone spending their time reading this story, or even just a chapter of it, a single paragraph, even... Thank you very much! ;")**


	10. Chapter 10

Once we were out of the clinic, I was untouchable. I walked like nobody could touch me, like I was a sister of the brothers of destruction. Without realizing at first, almost everyone was hesitant to talk to me – hesitant, to the point of almost being scared. I either didn't say a word when someone asked something or gave them the only form of response I felt like giving at the time – shoot them a hard, penetrating stare.

I was the tiniest person in the roster (if you didn't acknowledge Hornswoggle ofcourse) and it was funny to think that some guys, who were practically giants with clouds of muscles, wouldn't try to bother me when I was in no mood. I liked it that way…Hehehe.

Nonplussed but a bit impetuous, I got in the car and settled myself on the driver's seat. I started the engine, and almost pressed my foot on the gas pedal to accelerate when Cody opened the door and got in right next to me.

In between heavy pants, he said, "What's the deal with your being in a hurry?" he asked tersely, his breathing unsteady as though he'd jogged around Santorini.

"I'm not in a hurry, I just walk fast," I replied coolly. "I thought by now you'd be used to that," I added, still unconscious of the way I sounded. I locked the doors.

"What answer is that?" I saw Cody's face contort into a questioning-trying-to-stifle-a-frustrated-grin-exp ression. I knew that look so well; Cody Garrett Runnels was irritated. "You were about 3,447 footsteps ahead of me." There was his exaggeration again. "I told you to wait just a minute because Cole had to talk to me real quick, I stopped and thought you did, too. When I looked around you freakin' started the car already," he finished, the slight irritation already gone from his face.

I paused for a few moments as if to think of what to respond. The truth was, I totally forgot that I was walking with Cody in tow, and that I was supposed to drive to the hotel with him that night. (Well I practically kinda always drove to the hotel with him every night after a show.) I didn't know what was going on with me that time.

I looked straight ahead before answering, "I didn't hear you, sorry," I dismissed him quickly as I shifted the gear and stepped on the gas pedal.

We'd sped up for only about a few feet ahead when someone started banging on our car, a hand tapping on the passenger's door at the back, making me step on the brake pedal and do a sharp and heavy break. I looked to the sidemirror and saw Daniel, desperately trying to open the locked door.

Until then, I hadn't realized how hot-headed I was. That was what was happening to me. And the thing was, I also forgot that goat-face was with us two. Or worse, I kinda forgot that the three of us had been doing this for a few years now and we never went without the other… we three stuck together. _We're a crazy solid trio, remember? _I mentally palmed my face.

"Really Jill, what's the deal?" Cody laughed nervously. Yeap, maybe something must be really wrong with me at the time. I gave no response, and quickly unlocked the doors to let Daniel in.

"What the effin' F, Jill? Trying to leave me behind?" Daniel threw in his bags and took his seat.

I did not answer. I locked the doors and finally sped down the road. The ride was silent, but even from my peripheral view and through the rear-view mirror I caught Cody and D-Bry eyeing each other curiously, as though they'd just gotten themselves in a cab that was driven by some psycho murderer with some really devious modus operandi.

* * *

In our hotel room, the two fell asleep right when they plopped down on the king-size bed. They didn't even change. From the couch where I was playing on my PSP I watched my friends as they caught the only sleep they could before another busy day started. And then I remembered the incident earlier and how I had treated them quite badly, almost leaving them behind. Involuntarily, my face muscles moved to form a pouty puppy face at them. I felt bad for acting the way I had, only because I got slightly wounded by Dean Ambrose. I should've never let my emotions take over me like that, let alone let my actions affect the people that surrounded me. It was just wrong.

These thoughts circulated through my head. Suddenly, the scene in the clinic after the show earlier that night popped in my mind. And then I remembered how everything felt again. The coldness I got from him. I still was annoyed by it. Even so, I managed to search his videos on YouTube through my phone. Sometimes I didn't get why I decided to do certain things.

I clicked on one of his videos, entitled "I'm just a sick guy", a post-match promo of his. And then I saw _Jon Moxley _go wild and epic. Moxley. Jon Moxley.

In the video, Jon was basically rambling, still in his ring gear and the blood on his face had dried up after his match with Drake Younger for the IPW world title. He was terrorizing this short-haired girl in a really psychotic way. He had a fork in his hand; he had a coat where the red letters "MOX" were spelled when his back was turned. He was… I didn't know anymore. I'd never seen a wrestler's promo that overflowed with so much epicness. He was amazing. My smile…it was uncontrollable throughout watching the video. Without a doubt, despite the coldness he'd delivered to me earlier, Dean Ambrose…or Jon Moxley was still able to bring delight to me in a really unexplainable way.

* * *

When I'd finally decided that I really couldn't put myself to sleep, I went out of the room. I had absolutely no idea where I was headed to. I just felt like I needed to take a walk or something. I just had this feeling. I couldn't even pinpoint it. Sometimes it was really frustrating how I couldn't sleep when I wanted to. I was in my sky blue pajamas, Punk's loose Best in the World shirt, and slippers as I trod the halls of the hotel. I couldn't decide where to go. I was so indecisive that it came to the point that I insanely played with the hotel's elevator and stayed there for several long minutes just going up and down on all floors of the hotel. I was dazed.

Eventually, and thankfully, I got tired of my own little game and decided to go back to our room to see if I could finally sleep. I hit the '6' button as I let the elevator exalt me up to the floor where our room was.

I stepped out as the elevator doors opened. I began walking, until I noticed something was amiss. Stopping my trudge, I looked up on the wall and the elegant sign read '6th floor'. What an idiot. I realized that our room was back down on the fifth floor. I couldn't believe I went one floor higher. Figuring I didn't need the elevator, I proceeded to the stairs.

Just when I was about to set my foot on one of the steps that led down to the fifth floor, I heard _voices in my head…they counseled me, they understood… They_ – oh wait. I wasn't Orton. And the voices weren't in my head. They actually came from that hallway on my right, a few feet away from where I stood.

They belonged to two men. They were laughing. They sounded… drunk. Those voices belonged to Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose.

My sluggish state abruptly changed and I was more wakeful than ever. I slowly creeped closer to where their voices were coming from, stopping and pressing my back against the wall as I snooped.

I'd never heard a more senseless conversation in my entire life. They were drunk, and laughing, and just poking fun at each other. In a way it really was adorable. I leaned closer to listen more, and I heard Seth tell him that he was going back to his room. I heard Dean playfully plead him to hang around there with him a little longer, but Seth just laughed at him, and I heard him leave Dean there, still playfully begging for him to stay. What an adorable bumbling fool.

The hallway fell silent. But Dean was still there, as I could hear a bottle or something glassy clinking against a table. I did not know where the wind came from, but for some reason it just blew softly across my direction and it carried his scent with it. I involuntarily sniffed it. Now I was tempted to try to take a sneak peek of him from the edge of the wall I leaned against.

Slowly and very slightly, I poked my head to look at him sneakily. On one of the many couches that lined the walls of the hallway, there he was, sitting woozily, looking up at the ceiling. On the end table by his couch was an empty bottle of some liquor. He was still in his jeans. His hands were buried in the pockets of his black jacket. He looked like he was at a really dreamy state.

I was enjoying secretly watching him like that.

Without warning, he abruptly looked to his right, in my direction. It really alarmed me and I couldn't explain how I so quickly poked my head back to conceal myself behind the wall.

But even with that really swift move, I half-believed that our eyes met for a quick split-second before I could hide myself from his view.

_Fudge. I think he saw me. _

My heart was racing and the only thing I could think of was to get out of there real quick before he could even acknowledge my presence. I slowly lifted a leg to take a step.

"Hey, who's over there?" Dean called. I froze. _Should I show up? _"Is anyone there?" His drunken voice resounded through the halls. The jumpiness in my heart increased.

I tried hard to just ignore him, and I finally elected to begin walking away.

"Jill," his voice called. I turned to ice. _How the fudge does he know it's me? _I couldn't have been more jumpy. "Jill," he called the second time, his voice sounding lethargic. I regretted that I hung around there to spy on him.

I nervously stepped into his view after a few seconds. I looked at him timidly. "H-Hi," my voice came croaky. He just stared at me through a curtain of his messed up dirty blonde hair falling over his eyes. I was waiting for his response, but his icy blue eyes continued to delve into mine from afar. The awkward silence made me feel stupid and for a second there I thought he was gonna give me the cold shoulder again.

To both my surprise and relief, he flashed that dimply smile. "It's 1:30 AM. Why are you still up?" His inebriated tone was consistent, but then again, even at his normal sober state he kinda did always sound drunk. It was his natural voice, and ofcourse I found it adorable. It was almost hard to tell if he was drunk or sober 'cause either way, he had that intoxicated tone to his voice.

"I have a hard time sleeping tonight," I replied.

"Come 'er." He patted the empty space of the couch on his right. I slowly walked toward him. Sitting next to him, I saw the fresh dash of red wound under his eye. Immediately, I was reminded of the abrasion on his left arm. His black jacket concealed it.

Naturally, I wasn't a transparent person. So even though I was going nuts inside as I sat next to him, it didn't show completely as I managed to keep myself collected atleast on the outside. His drunken stare was unyielding, and when I couldn't find a way to break the silence, I simply gave him an unsure tight-lipped smile.

"What are you doing walking around here late at night?" Dean asked.

"I already told you, I couldn't sleep. Why are you still up?"

He glanced at the empty bottle on the table beside him before gazing back at me. He grinned impishly. When I understood what he was trying to say, I nodded simply.

"How did you know it was me?" I chewed the inside of my cheek.

"There's no other diva in this company that looks like a highschool student," he playfully mocked.

I gave him a fake wounded look trying to play along, knitting my brows and faking a scowl.

"Kidding." His hand reached for my chin softly. I felt a thousand frissons go through my veins, pumping my blood really high. It made me quickly break eye contact with him out of bashfulness. When I looked back at him, he was smiling, his dimple showing.

I realized he was being _the comfortable_ Dean again. Suddenly, I was reminded of the cold and unfriendly Dean during the clinic incident. Could it be that he just drank too much that the alcohol actually helped him to be more approachable, responsive, and pleasant this time? I had been sitting here with him for a couple minutes already and he hadn't shown any sign of aloofness so far.

I was thinking about asking him how his wounds were, but decided against it, assuming that if I brought it up, he'd turn all unfriendly on me again.

"You never drink?" he asked.

"No," I replied. "What do you guys love most about drinking?"

"It, uhh… erases reality?" He pushed his lips outwardly, his eyes softly puncturing mine.

"How so?"

"We tend to forget pain momentarily, that's one. I tend to forget about the pain. About reality." He paused to crack his neck. "My first drink ever was way back when I was fourteen, when I didn't want to see my mom anymore." His eyes were focused on the wall across us, his face deadpan. This was when I started thinking how drunk he really could be at the time, considering that he'd just begun randomly telling me about something very personal to him.

Disguising the hurt I felt upon his words, I nonchalantly asked, "Why did you not want to see her anymore?" The guy I found most mysterious was going to tell me stories about his life.

"Because it hurt to see her," he matched the nonchalance I threw him.

I didn't understand him. "Why?"

He paused for a second, probably collecting his thoughts. "It hurt to see her ever so tolerantly be a helpless prey to hungry, horny perverts."

My throat tightened, and my face pulled into a heavy frown. "What about your... your father? Where is he?"

"I never knew my father. But I've always known that my mother wouldn't have ended up the way she did if my father stuck around." He licked his lips. "I had spent my life in a really lowly shanty we called 'home' and in the club where mom strived hard to earn money, to be able to feed me three times a day and seven days a week."

I was flinching at every word he said as I tried to imagine the horrid childhood he went through.

"At fourteen, I got really sick to the back teeth of having my mom continue what she did for the two of us to survive the cruel life we lived. I wanted her to stop. I wanted her to stop having to willingly like to be fucked by various men of all types and ages. I wanted her to stop mortifying herself. I wanted to help her, but was too young to be of any sort of help. I started stealing." He rubbed his drowsy eyes with his fingers.

I breathed in heavily as I listened to him intently.

"I'd wounded her, then. She told me she didn't want me to steal. She was crying to me that night. She was crying for her son who'd turned out to be some teenage criminal who fought in the streets for a few bucks and meat. She told me she was sorry, that it was all her fault. And then I started crying. We were crying together." He began to sniff heavily, but I couldn't be sure that he was about to cry. "That night, I promised her I'd be a better son for her. I didn't assure her I would be a perfect son, but I said I'd be better. I promised I'd end all the horror in our life one day."

I couldn't believe how Dean's story telling was able to play with my emotions right then and there. Just by listening to him tell the story of his deprived life, I felt my heart gain all pounds of Mark Henry's body.

"Looks to me like you just fulfilled your promise," I said reassuringly, offering him a sympathetic smile.

He returned a weak smile. "I guess. I have one new goal, though. I want to be the triumphant bastard my father would wish he never left." I had to laugh at this, despite the small wincing pain I felt. I couldn't blame him for feeling the way he felt for his father, but I just wished he'd decided to be satisfied with making her mother feel the most loved woman in the world. "My mother and I, it has always been the two of us since day one. We didn't have a lot, but having her was always enough. I love her so much. She's the best."

I delighted at the thought of Dean's great love for his mother.

"I'm more than sure she's very proud of you." I smiled once more.

"I'll never stop making her proud. I hate myself for falling into senseless street fighting sometimes and it really saddens her, but I just can't help it sometimes you know? I grew up never knowing how to back down in a fight."

I gathered my thoughts, and I was reminded of that jerk-disguised-as-a-fan who attacked him.

"Hey, how are your wounds?" I swiftly asked.

"I can feel them healing sooner," his hand went to softly rub his left arm. "Jake. That stupid son of an uncle-fucker."

"Jake?" I arched a brow.

"Jake. The moron who attacked me after the show. His name's Jake." He ruffled his already disheveled hair. "You see during my life before becoming a wrestler, Jake, his younger brother and I were close buds. Until one day, when his brother and I were in his car, we met an accident. Jake was blaming me, saying that since I was the one who was into wrestling, I was violent and that it was _my _fault. The shattered pieces of the car's window dug into my right arm, I thought it had to be amputated. And my mouth was nearly split from the impact. All Jake's brother got was a broken nose."

"What an imbecile!" I shook my head in great disbelief. "Seriously?! I can't believe the guy!"

"Several long years later and the uncircumcised bitch still can't get over the whole thing!" Dean laughed heartily at his drunken state.

"Now that I'm hearing this, I really wish you never let him walk anymore." I managed to smile. "You're feeling better, though?"

"Like a million bucks." Dean Ambrose playfully winked at me and my heart melted and turned into vapor at that point. _This silly drunk adorable man is killing me softly. _When I started to feel the heat rushing in my cheeks, I mentally prayed to God to make me stop from blushing. _Not in front of him. Please. _Sexy-adorable-drunk-Dean-Ambrose was sexy-adorable-drunk. It was lovely.

"Good," I said simply, still mentally focused on praying for God to prevent my blush.

"Hey, sorry about earlier tonight after the show." I was surprised to hear him bring this up at the time. I gaped at him slightly, as though he had just said the biggest insult to my face. He cracked his neck and stretched his arms, his right arm resting on top of the backrest of the sofa so it almost reached me. "I just didn't want you to think of me as some scary criminal."

"Why would you think I'd think that?" I frowned.

"Because a lot of girls have done so," Dean replied, his tone very blunt, without any hint of lies. He was indeed drunk. _In vino veritas_.

"Well, I didn't. I wouldn't judge you for it. No one has the right to." My stare desperately tried to send sincerity towards him.

"Really? Even when you've just found out now that I was a thug as a teenager trying to fight for meals?" The glimmer of delight flashed in his eyes when he asked me this.

"Yes, even so," I reassured him. His question brought his _I'm just a sick guy _promo video back into my head. I could remember how he rambled there. I remembered his exact line: _I fought for the belt tonight just like I fight for every meal of my entire life, and it got stolen from me just like a lot of meals have by big scary dogs._ It seemed that Dean Ambrose… or Jon Moxley, kind of patterned his promos after the real-life experiences he went through. No wonder why it was just so full of impact every frickin' time he cut a promo!

"Even so, _Jon._" I smiled as I emphasized on his oldschool name. I had to laugh at the look he gave me when he heard me call him 'Jon'. "What?" I asked with a grin when he just kept gawking at me. "I kinda like it, you know? _Jon Moxley_," I stressed.

"I'm Jonathan Good by birth, though."

Wow. Of all names. Good. Good was his real last name. The irony. I shrugged nonchalantly.

A mischievous smile surprisingly started spreading across his face. "You like my indie name, though?" He scooted closer, until the space between us on the couch was gone. I wondered why I couldn't keep myself from almost freezing everytime he did something like this.

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah. It's madsick. It's awesome, really, Jon."

After a few moments of silence, his outstretched arm reached for the side of my face. The skin contact was spine-tingling.

"Thank you, Jill." He tucked a few of my hairstrands behind my ear. I looked at him to see the innocent face of a man who told me nothing but pieces of truth tonight.

His transparent blue eyes allowed me to gain access to his soul, and I saw that deep down in it, Jonathan Good was a goodhearted man molded by the darkness of his past. These eyes were complemented by those thin lips that were curved into a sincere smile now – the same lips that spewed out words of reality that I absorbed.

I got to know Jon more, and I just couldn't explain the happiness it brought.

I couldn't have been more grateful for this night.


	11. Chapter 11

After the conversation with Jon that night, I'd actually found it harder to sleep. If I'd forced myself to sleep, I'd have to wake up at 4:00 AM which was a whole lot of effort as I'd only have about two hours of sleep. I'd decided to just stay up until our flight hour comes, which was easier than sleeping and having to wake up early. I had spent the rest of the night PSP'ing…and playing my little moment with Jon over and over in my head.

At 3:45 AM, my things were prepared as though more ready to fly to the airport than I. I went for a quick shower, and emerged from the bathroom door already in my dark jeans and skull-printed white shirt with black elbow-length sleeves. I stared at myself in the mirror and my disheveled hair caught my attention. As I towel-dried it, Cody and Daniel were still sleeping. D-Bry wasn't much of a snorer, while Cody was the ultimate snore-lax. I looked at them in the full-length mirror, the lampshade's warm sallow light illuminating over them. Their bodies were veiled by the comforter as they lay on their sides with their backs turned on one another, creating a very fitting space between them where I was supposed to be sandwiched.

I decided that I'd get their things ready while they still slept. Taking D-Bry's scattered belongings, I placed them in his luggage. I grabbed Cody's headphones, which he'd thrown on the couch last night. I placed them beside the lampshade on the table along with the other things of his that were ready to be slipped into his jeans' pockets: wallet, phone, and comb. Yes, Cody did always have his comb in his pocket. He was actually vainer with his hair than I probably should have been with mine. Once done, I grabbed a neatly folded hanky from my suitcase and sat on the sofa to go back to towel-drying my hair.

Moments later, Cody started to move. "What time is it?" his voice sounded a little gruff. He rubbed his eyes.

"4:10," I answered simply. "We're gonna have to leave the hotel at 4:40, go get ready."

Daniel moved slightly and was probably awoken by our talking. He was very much the light sleeper.

Cody heaved the covers off his body, throwing them to Daniel, and slowly sat up.

"Darn it," I heard D-Bry muffle. "I'm the WBO featherweight champion."

And I'd always believed he was the light sleeper of the group. Cody looked at him, rather disgusted. I laughed.

"What the heaven, D-Bry," I laughingly said.

"The other night you were saying you just made Mayweather tap," Cody pointed, his voice still languid. "I hate your dreams. Wake up." He shook Daniel.

Daniel rose, sitting up and I was surprised to see him seemingly fully-awake like he just had not been having that boxing dream.

"Gear up now, you parasites," I commanded.

Cody slowly pushed himself up from the bed, moving to his feet, all lazy. Suddenly, D-Bry who was still sitting on the bed yanked Cody by the arm, pulling him down and back to the bed. Perplexity was written all over Cody's mustache as he looked up at Daniel who now stood up.

"No way, Cross Rhodes. I'm going in the shower first." D-Bry's beard was democratically scruffier than General Admiral Aladeen's.

"No you're not!" Suddenly, there was power in Cody's voice. He got up quickly to battle with Daniel, but they also suddenly both stopped to check their surroundings.

D-Bry's eyes roamed over his suitcase, scanning it. "You fixed my stuff?" He looked at me.

I nodded, nonplussed.

Cody glanced at the lampshade where I'd put his things moments ago. "And I won't have trouble untangling my headphones later, too." Then they both eyed me with a look that fell between curiosity and contentment.

"Something's not right," Daniel said seriously. "You couldn't be up so early to do those. You hardly ever wake up earlier than either Cody or I."

I shrugged nonchalantly.

"Correct," Cody said, "because she's the sleepyhead between the three of us."

"We usually have to literally drag your body out of the bed to get you up and about," D-Bry supported Cody's statement. "But today we didn't have to? And you're even all dressed up already?" He narrowed his eyes, as if scrutinizing me.

_Um, can you two just thank me and get over it? Parasites. _

More often than not, these two never easily disregarded small things like these. When in actuality, it was senseless and should have never been open to some sort of debate. I was up early (or was rather up all night), got all dressed and was ready to go, and they didn't have to agonize in trying to wake me up just for this one single day. What was the big deal? It wasn't my fault that they were still sleeping when I was already gearing up. It wasn't my fault. Neither was it Snitsky's.

Cody ran a finger over his mustache before speaking, as if he thought things over and came up with a conclusion. "This girl did not sleep at all," he said to Daniel, who nodded in agreement.

Okay, I did hope they wouldn't suspect something and would just stop there. Right, they'd figured it out, I didn't sleep all right. _Stop right there and don't go over-analyzing things, boys._

Thankfully, they dropped the subject. I saw the nosy expressions disappear from their face instantly.

"You sweet earthling," Daniel said with a huge appreciative grin. "You really love us wholeheartedly." He slowly started to walk to me with arms literally wide open. Just not under the sunlight, but still wide open. Yeap, he was ready to _hug it out _all right. He strode his way to me with slow steps, the grin on his face never faltering.

"Shower time!" Cody shouted with sheer joy before scurrying to the bathroom faster than Flash, slamming the door shut.

"NO!" D-Bry completely forgot about the hug he was gonna give me and retreated to the door, slamming it with his hand. "Open this door, Cody!"

"Eat goat shit!" Cody's voice reverberated through the door.

I belly-laughed to death.

* * *

Smackdown taping. Different city. Two hours before the show started, I went to the mini-coffee shop in the building to reward myself a caramel frappuccino after not being able to sleep the previous night. I was in the midst of feeling euphoric during the first sweet sip from my frap when my phone rang. I held it in front of my face to check who it was – _Incoming call. PUNK. _– I just never called him "Phil" for some reason. So Punk was calling. I wondered why.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Hi Jilley," Punk replied. The ambiance from the other line sounded quite blaring with breezes.

"What's up?"

"Went looking for you, I kinda gotta see you." I could hear strong winds blowing and they were drowning out Punk's voice. I almost didn't understand his words.

"Gotta see me? Then you should've continued searching!" I playfully replied, taking a long sip of my frap.

"I figured it would only cost me my energy. Your incredibly tiny height makes everything harder, you were probably already in one of the areas I've been to but because you're _that _little, I may have possibly failed to notice you," Punk laughed heartily. For some reason, you couldn't get mad if it was Punk insulting you. I let out a hearty laugh. "There might be _some_ people who are willing to exert effort just to find you, but I'm not one of them." The wind blew again, heckling Punk's words that I almost failed to hear him, only I did. Clearly.

That was when my wondering-tactics attacked again. Where the heck was he? First, he got lazy to look for me, so he just called me. Second, he was in some really windy area. Why was he looking for me anyway? But I also wondered about his last statement. There was just something to it. Willing to find me? Some people? But then again maybe this clown was just toying around.

"Where you at? In front of an electric fan or something? You sound gibberish!"

"Not quite," Punk replied, "I'm standing on top of this building."

"You're on the rooftop?! What are you doing up there?"

"Come here, gotta see you. AJ's here and the guys."

"The guys? Who else is – "

"Just come up here and join us," Punk cut my words short. "The vibe is great out here, come on!"

"All right." I hung up and sipped from my cup of frap as I started to think.

After a few moments, I remembered something. Something about "rooftop bonding".

_Holy cow. I can't be right, can I? _Figuring my conclusions, I finished my frappuccino. Both excited and nervous, off I went, making my way up to the rooftop.

* * *

I rose from the last step of the staircase and onto the rooftop. I smiled as the wind blew through my hair. I was on top of the world.

"Yeah there you are!" Punk half-sprinted to me. I gave him a high-five.

"So what's the deal?" I asked as soon as we were close to one another.

"Hey, Jill!" I looked past Punk to see AJ half-skipping toward where we stood, with Seth in tow.

So if Seth was here, there was a 99% chance that Jon was also _on top of the world _at this point. There I went again – half-expecting.

"Hey guys," I greeted with a small smile, trying hard not to look like I was checking out the surroundings for any sign of Jonathan Good. "What's going on?" The three of them now stood before me.

"Nothing much," Punk said, "guess Seth has just taught me a new way to warm up before the show."

"Warming up, huh? I'm kinda freezing out here." I wrapped my arms around myself.

"You like cold weather though, right?" AJ grinned. "I mean, better than hot sweaty days, as far as I can remember."

"Well if you've got problems freezing, we know someone who can lend you a jacket," Punk advised before whirling around like he was looking for someone. "Hey, Jon!" Punk yelled in the air, as both AJ and Seth turned their heads.

Those two words of Punk were all I needed to hear to literally freeze. Even against the weather itself, Punk's plain words were better in making me freeze. Well? Best in the World, people.

_What are you just talking about? _Ofcourse that was still my mind talking; my eyes already roamed around to spot Jon before they could come out of my mouth.

I looked tensely, and there he was… standing by the hefty barricade that separated him from a whole flight straight down the freakin' ground. The wind was blowing through his hair, messing it up and making him look like a freakin' god of… never mind. What I really wanted to say was that he just really had that appeal. He wore a black unzipped hoodie and was in his jeans. And did I already mention he held a lit cigarette? He held it between his index and middle finger, his thumb flicking it to get rid of the ash.

Then our gazes were suddenly locked on one another. So suddenly. I tensed even more.

I would say ofcourse I was excited to see him again, but more importantly, I still felt apprehensive.

Did I have the reason to? _Yes_, my subconscious insisted.

Jon was a little unpredictable – okay, totally unpredictable. And I had just begun verifying some of the evidences. After many months of being amused with his promos and matches in the developmental program, I had met him, witnessed him live and he was definitely able to showcase brilliance that was beyond me. I couldn't explain it. Then he'd started unintentionally giving me these strange feelings that made me go ooh-la-la. Then we chatted during snack time, he even rescued my hanky. Then I went colliding with him and crazy-hugging with him, saving me from the biggest prankster in the WWE, Hornswoggle. He'd walked me back to the locker room (I don't see why I'm making this a big deal)…and had given me an incomparable coldness while he was at a slightly beat-up state. And just last night, his drunkenness had given me the consent to get to a deeper part of him and actually get hold of a bit of his shady past.

In what I considered a really short amount of time, Jon had made me feel every emotion I was familiar with, as well as all the other emotions that I didn't know were possible to feel. He had wowed me since day one on TV. He blew me when I saw him live. I shivered each time I encountered him. His dimply smile brought little joy to my heart. Physical contact with him sent my mind in a trance, setting my heart on fire. He'd made me feel stupid, unwanted, and just freakin' upset when he'd treated me coldly. But he had totally made up for that when he'd touched me to the deepest backbone of my heart when he truthfully, albeit under the influence of alcohol, told me a little about his life-story.

Jon did all those things. Jon was adorably unpredictable. Jon was someone I had a crush on.

Jon was someone I liked.

I didn't even realize he was standing before me now, too. Then there were those eyes of his again. I did not know what to think. His expression, it was just unreadable. I kind of hated it, and liked it at the same time. It just sent another shiver down my spine.

_Does he remember last night?_ Because I had to admit, if it would turn out he didn't remember anything about last night, I would feel wounded again. Seriously. I was crazy.

"Come on little girl, go ask for Jon's jacket!" Punk started teasing, playfully dragging my arm in an effort to push me closer to Jon. AJ and Seth's laughs were just as teasing as Punk's words were as they hung in the cool air.

I felt my cheeks go hot against the cool breeze. _What was going on? _I honestly started to suspect something had been going on before I came here. _Really? Suddenly you guys are like, teasing the two of us like we're an item?_

I saw Jon slightly put his head down and only displayed a tight-lipped, dimply, somewhat shy smile. And I kind of thanked goodness for that. That he wasn't looking at me. Or he would've probably seen how embarrassed I looked.

When Punk wouldn't stop dragging me, I pinched his waist. "You moron, I'm not cold!" I said in a playful way, not being able to produce anything out of my mouth but an uncertain chuckle.

"Hey you have done nothing but pinch me since day one, don't you have anything nice to do to me?" Punk softly rubbed the side of his waist. It was probably going to bruise later because of the pressure I inflicted on it.

"Well you've never done anything nice to me, so there you go." I smiled proudly, forgetting Jon was around. When my gaze suddenly touched back on him, my smile just somehow involuntarily shrunk and I was feeling quite sheepish.

"Jill, why won't you want to borrow his jacket?" Seth asked, impishness in his tone. "He won't mind it, I'm sure." Seth grinned before slowly setting his mischievous stare on Jon.

"Come on, Jill! Or maybe you'd want some _human jacket _instead?" AJ flashed those eyes, beaming with banter and I wanted to scratch them out of their sockets. Except I also loved AJ so much.

Punk laughed. "So uhh, how about a warm, inviting hug for you two?" He draped either of his arms on Jon and I.

Then everyone was California-girl-giggling except for me and Jon, who was consistent with his tight-lipped smile, and with steadily holding his cigarette, too.

I truly wondered what he was feeling at that very point.

'Cause me? With all this teasing sessions I was going through under Punk, AJ, and Seth? I was going all nuts inside. I felt like I was monkey in the middle.

"Man, I think they need their alone-time or something," Seth said to Punk. AJ's giggle was unrelenting.

"All right, you two. We'll just mind our own business here for a while." Punk walked away and over to the hefty barricade of the rooftop. Seth and AJ followed.

Ofcourse they left us alone in that space. My intestines were twisting and I just kept my gaze on the three, who were seemingly discussing something. I couldn't get myself to courageously look at Jon until he finally spoke up, his voice low and laid-back.

"What's up?" He asked before putting the cigarette in his mouth, the orange at the tip burning bright as he sucked in.

"Nothing much," I replied. There was a pause. He blew the smoke out, turning his head slightly away from me to avoid blowing it in my direction. "You guys gonna be in action tonight?" I smiled genuinely as soon as his eyes were back on me again.

"Not quite," he said, his voice was solid low. "I mean, not yet in the ring. A little promo." I saw the corner of his mouth lift a tadbit.

"Cool." I raked through my hair as I looked up at him. My hand slowly went to rub my left arm up and down, attempting to produce a little amount of heat. He noticed this.

"Hey, look. You can really use this if you're freezing now." Jon tugged at his hoodie. "Seriously. It's absolutely all ri – "

"No, Jon. It's okay, really." I waved a hand slightly to convince him that it was all right. But he paused as though I had said something wrong.

When he still didn't speak after a few moments and just stood there, holding a cigarette, and looking at me like my face was painted like Avatar, I started to silently collect my thoughts.

_What did I say? _I kept thinking. Could it be his name? I called him 'Jon'? I'd said last night that I sort of liked it. I had also addressed him as 'Jon' last night. Except he was sober this time, and that could be the big difference.

Then I felt a small but sharp surge of desire – the dire need to know if he remembered. I atleast wanted to know he did remember the little moment we'd shared the previous night. I just… I just wanted to know.

As silence still rung in the air between us, I managed to finally speak again.

"Slept well last night?" I asked. This way, I'd find out.

Jon kept his icy blue gaze on me, as his expression remained unreadable. Now I was nervous. Even feeling a bit of regret, actually. Like a pang of shame suddenly struck me. Why had I asked that? It only gave me a whole mixture of emotions. I was uneasy, all worried about what he would say but at the same time… I was excited in a really uncomfortable way.

I was a frying pan and I had just tossed the pancake up in the air… and now I was waiting for it to drop, see if it would land appropriately.

Ofcourse I hoped it would.

"Yeah," Jon said. He looked to his right, squinting his eyes, a habit of his I'd noticed, while he licked his thin lips. "Went straight to bed after the show. Got extremely exhausted."

So there we have it, ladies and gents. The pancake just dropped back on the frying pan… except it didn't land well and went splashing out of its shape instead.

Great. Jon gave me an answer. Except it wasn't what I expected to hear. Great. Just great.

I realized I had just done that stupid mistake again: I expected. Great. Wall. Of freakin' China. What was I thinking? I felt so stupid.

Just last night, I was on this certain level of elation due to our tiny private moment - which I thought meant something, which I'd expected would atleast ring a bell to him. Last night, I actually got him to talk to me. Like real talk. He shared his life-story! He even thanked me at the end of our conversation! We had a heart-to-heart talk!

He just didn't remember it. While I could remember it so vividly, and I could and would explain the scenario by detail if somebody asked me to.

But he didn't remember all right. Perhaps it was nothing to him at all.

I was dumber than the dumbest. I was the most worthless person on the planet, even as I stood _on top of the world _at the time! I couldn't believe it.

For many years I had built the barriers that would serve to protect my fragile heart. How could I demolish those blockades and let that freakin' group of renegades called "pain" trespass so easily?

Life was somewhat lethal at times.

You know you're hurt when you suddenly wish you can get rid of your own life, to permanently live the Life of Pi in exchange.

* * *

**A/N: Hello hello folks, sorry for the delay. Got tied up with school.**

**Thank you very much for patiently reviewing and reading the chapters. It heartens me that some people actually enjoy the story.**

**Question: Is Jill being highly-emotional again? And does it irritate you guys or what? Lol**


	12. Chapter 12

Another great show had just wrapped up, but was not so much fun of a night for me at all. I was not jovial – to say the least. I was mentally floating through the women's locker room. Not because of the botch that Layla and I had made earlier during our match. It wasn't even because of the bump I took. My mind wasn't even in the match entirely. I hated that it went that way.

I was just there, my thoughts fleeting as I sat on the floor with my legs spread apart, my back against the wall. I practically looked like Vince McMahon had just suspended me for six months, when in actuality, I was just dwelling a little too much on the stinging cut that Jon had once again given me, right when I figured that he didn't remember anything last night. My surroundings seemed bleak at the time. I slowly juggled the water bottle in my hand.

A knock on the door startled me just a little bit, enough to make me snap back into reality. I didn't answer. I was still too dazed to respond, but I was aware of my surroundings.

The door opened anyway and Punk's head poked in.

I looked to meet his eyes, which were glimmering with both exhaustion and excitement. He'd just had another five-star main event match tonight.

"Hey," I said lazily.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Punk asked. Even without my consent, he'd stepped through the door and into the room anyway.

"No bruise, I see," I frostily commented on the side of his waist, which I'd pinched earlier.

"No bruise YET." He ruffled my hair into different places before Indian-sitting in front of me. I knitted my brows at this gesture of his, and this was actually the first real emotion my face had displayed in the last two and a half hours.

"What is it?" I fixed my hair into place, my eyes not meeting his gaze. Again, I was not realizing how taciturnly unkind I was acting at this point.

There was no immediate reply from him. After a few seconds, I looked at him, baffled, waiting for him to say something. His face looked just as baffled as mine. Then he bit his lower lip, his eyes poring over me. Then, very slowly, a grin grew across his face like he just had an idea.

"You're on your period!" Punk shouted, holding one finger up. Jack-butt. I eyed him evilly. "Is that it? Is that why you're like that?" he asked, the grin still very noticeable.

"Is that why I'm like what?" I narrowed my eyes. My voice sounded tired and annoyed.

"You're obviously in a mood tonight." He narrowed his eyes, too.

_Me? In a mood? Am I? _Even I couldn't tell. Or maybe I really was in a mood, I just probably didn't know how to admit to that.

I tried hard to keep a stoic expression. "Ofcourse not," I protested lightly. "I'm not on my period, either."

"You seem like it. Why are you all grumpy?"

"Dude, I'm not. All right? I'm just tired." Okay, I guess you can consider that a lie.

"Oh come on, Jill!" Punk palmed his sweaty face. "I am Mr. Lie Detector; you can't hide anything from me so stop trying too hard, you'll only exhaust yourself."

Now just how do you convince CM Punk? Flyin' freak.

I focused my gaze on the floor. "Punk I'm just really tired." My replies were being so senseless now.

"Oh sure." Sarcasm in his voice was loud. He snatched the water bottle from my hand. I was passive and indifferent. "All I wanted to tell you was that you should smile tonight!" He took a long swig from my bottle.

His words caught my attention, but I wouldn't let it show. I decided to remain reticent to make myself look more tired, uninterested, and just deadpan.

"Seriously," he continued after drinking my water, "why let _something_ affect you so bad? Why let it affect a match? You were so off out there! And now you're even letting _it_ affect how you act around your friends? You're giving me this aloofness and I have to say I am hurt, Jilley." He faked a tearful expression, tugging his upper lip in his lower lip like he was a crybaby.

All right, that was funny. Classic Punk and all, but…

Huh? What the heck was that? What the flying freak did just CM Punk blabber about? Affect what? _Something _affected me so bad tonight? I was off out there during my botchamania moment? I was being aloof? I was letting _it _affect how I act around people? WHAT?!

_Cut it out, Jill._

I sometimes wanted my doppelganger to appear out of nowhere and have it punch me in the face until I learned to acknowledge my wrong actions. Punk was right. I was letting _it _make myself look and act like crap. Even I couldn't begin to explain why I was so darn miffed by the fact that Jon simply did not remember our conversation last night.

Despite having this little epiphany amidst my conversation with Punk, I decided to stay a bit uncaring.

"Oh shut up." I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. When I opened them back, Punk was shaking his head.

"Hardheaded little kid." He flashed an apologetic smile. "You're very lucky you're friends with people like me, Cody, and Bryan. We can tolerate you." He cupped my face, squeezing my cheeks before getting to his feet. I nonchalantly looked up at him.

"I'm gonna go now," he said as he offhandedly walked toward the door. "Don't forget your glass of fresh milk and vitamins before going to bed all right, _little girl_? I'll tell Bryan to tell you a really good story, too." Sarcasm was overpowering in his tone. Vintage Punk was vintage Punk.

"I love you, too," was my only reply, still in that steady, unfriendly voice.

"Oh, and Jill?" He whirled around quickly to look at me. I stared at him.

"Trust me when I tell you," his voice was sharp, "_he _remembers." Punk winked at me.

The strong foundations of my fake indifference all collapsed right then and there, and I was suddenly all eyes and ears on Punk.

What in the world? He? Who in the – What the fudge? And I knew for a fact that when Punk shot you that sparkling wink of his, things were about to get extraordinary. What did Punk know about? Or how was he sure of that? _He_ remembered? Really? I hoped Punk wasn't just toying or whatevs, ya know?

With just a few words, Punk was so victorious in establishing a royal rumble among my thoughts, that it made my heart pound and my blood pump so loud in my veins. I was going nuts and desperately wanted to get Punk to explain certain things to me at this point.

My face contorted into an extremely perplexed expression. "What? What do you – "

"Trust me." He cut me off and smiled coolly.

"Punk, what are you – "

"Pipe bomb." His smile was mocking, cocky, and confident. He disappeared through the door and I just realized how Punk totally owned me. Why couldn't he just tell me?

I let out an unsatisfied sigh.

* * *

I was in the bathroom washing my face and brushing my teeth all at once. The stream of water from the faucet was relentless. I had a poor habit of not turning it off until I got done washing my face and brushing my teeth. Amidst my regimen, I could hear Cody and D-Bry somewhat arguing. But due to the sound of the water crashing into the sink and perhaps their attempt to keep their voice low so I wouldn't hear them, I was not able to make anything of their chatter.

I got curious. Turning the faucet off, the last thing I clearly heard was D-Bry saying, "Seth told me! He can't just be shitting around!" with utter emphasis to every word despite talking in a really low voice.

I twisted the knob and pulled the door open. When I finally stepped into their view, they immediately stopped talking and they took my presence into their registry. They looked so startled as though their mothers had just caught them jacking off. They were sitting on the bed across one another as their eyes took me in.

I knew then that they were going to tell me something. Or they didn't want me to know. Now I was desperately curious.

"All right," I spoke as I put my hands on my waist. "What's the deal?"

Neither of them spoke. The look on their faces was priceless. I elected to speak once more.

"Come on, parasites. What is it?"

"Say it, goat-face." Cody tapped D-Bry's shoulder before slowly sliding away from him and lying on the bed entirely, seemingly leaving it all to Daniel. He seemed to wish him luck as though D-Bry was about to tell me something really bad. I tensed.

"Um." D-Bry cleared his throat. "I've no idea how to put this," he said. His tone was serious and Cody looked really anxious. Now I started to get antsy. They looked at each other and then back at me.

"Well?" I pressed. Cody sat back up.

D-Bry licked his lips before speaking. "Jon and his girlfriend broke up."

_Excusez moi? _What did I just hear? _Wait a second. All right. All right, Jill. Breathe. Process it. _So he had a girlfriend? Wait, so this was really what they were gonna tell me? _Hold on just a minute_. Now I was beginning to get why they were finding it hard to tell me. It was very simple: I didn't know Jon had a girlfriend. And I couldn't blame them for having little trouble telling me about it. Maybe they were thinking it would hurt me to know that he had a girlfriend. But the new fact was that they already broke up, so maybe Cody and D-Bry thought it would be the good news to deliver to me.

I honestly couldn't even begin to explain the way I felt upon hearing the news. I didn't know which emotion was more dominant – the small pain because of the fact that Jon was in a relationship (well, had been in a relationship, then), or that little joy and hope jumping inside me because he was now single.

"Jill?" I didn't realize how long I had been silent and blankly staring at the ground until D-Bry called my attention. I looked back up at the both of them who had concerned expressions.

"We didn't know he has… or had a girlfriend." Daniel uneasily scratched the back of his head.

"But they're not together anymore, you know?" Cody butted in, giving me a supportive smile. I felt like he was trying to sound reassuring. And he was failing big time.

"Yeah," D-Bry seconded. "As I've said, they broke up already. You know, it's called 'ex-girlfriend' now."

"Oh definitely." I could see Cody's trying-hard-reassuring composure again. "Past is past, right dude?" He nudged D-Bry.

"Correct! We should never dwell in the past." Daniel looked at me with that indecisive grin.

Cody was mimicking D-Bry's actions. "No man is rich enough to buy back his past." Cody looked rather cocky than comforting.

D-Bry looked tensely to Cody. "We are products of our past, but we don't have to be prisoners of it." The expression on his face sounded something like, _Beat that, Cody! _

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin," Cody retorted.

"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the – "

"Enough," I cut off D-Bry and then awkward silence fell on us. I couldn't believe the two idiots had gone from telling me a fact, to comforting and encouraging me, and then suddenly to having a contest about classic quotes involving the word 'past'.

After a few moments, Cody spoke. "You all right?"

"Ofcourse," my voice was terse, my smile confident. "D-Bry, can I play Injustice on your iPad?"

* * *

An hour later when D-Bry and Cody were finally asleep by either side of me on the bed, my eyes were on my phone. I was staring at a picture of Jon which I'd secretly saved in it. It was an old photo of him, certainly during his pre-WWE days where he was smiling fully, his teeth showing, while he held a bottle of beer with one hand. How very adorable.

As I never ceased to stare at it, thoughts came flooding my head.

How could he not remember our conversation last night? Even just bits of it? I was still very upset. Last night, he shared a part of him to me. I'd gotten to know him more. Last night, he'd also apologized for acting the way he did in the clinic. He'd even thanked me after our open conversation. He was just being him and talking real and I'd enjoyed that moment so much, that I didn't know if I was just too dumb to forget that he was actually drunk when he said all those things... that he wouldn't remember it the next day. Oh by the way, he had a girlfriend, too. Or ex-girlfriend now. What was I supposed to feel? More importantly, though, how was he feeling?

_What are you doing to me, Jonathan Good?_ I sighed heavily before clicking the homepage button of my phone, and setting it on my tummy as I lay there.

I closed my eyes, forcing myself to sleep already. Minutes later, I felt my phone vibrate on my tummy. And since it was on silent mode, it didn't ring when it received a text message. It only vibrated. I was too lazy to check the text message so I didn't care to open it. Then my phone vibrated for the second time. And then the third time… fourth time… fifth…

My eyes popped open and suddenly, my attention was absorbed by my phone. The vibrations weren't ones indicating many consecutive text messages, but rather a continuous rhythm of vibration indicating a phone call. I quickly grabbed my phone.

My eyes hardly trusted what I was seeing. I couldn't believe it. Jon was calling. At 11:57 PM.

Curious, excited, tensed, nervous, and twitchy, I picked up.

"Hello?" I answered fretfully in a whisper, sitting up and glancing at Cody and D-Bry to make sure I didn't wake them.

All I heard were the noises of cars and soft gusts in the background. But I knew he was there because I could hear him breathing.

"Hello?" I repeated.

"I'm sorry, sweet cheeks." His first words caught me by surprise. It was strangely uplifting. His voice sounded tired, and drunk. But then again, it seemed like his normal sober voice, I could never perfectly tell if he was really drunk.

I elected to roll out of bed quietly. I quickly headed outside our hotel room and found a couch to settle in.

"Hey, still there?" I asked as soon as I sat on the sofa. "Sorry, I had to get out of the room."

"Oh hi, how are you?" Jon's voice was strangely booming with eagerness.

"Just fine," I said unsurely. "What's up?"

"Hey, I said I was sorry." His voice was suddenly tired and somewhat sleepy, but strangely sounded sincere.

I hesitated before saying, "For what?"

I heard the sound his mouth made each time he licked his lips. "I… lied earlier," he confessed.

I was suddenly immobile. "Lied? About what?" My upper teeth sunk into my lower lip.

There was a short silence. Odd enough, my heart was pounding as I awaited his response… even when I sort of knew what he was about to tell me.

"Jill…" I heard him breathe. "I made you believe like I don't remember last night."

I held my breath, and slowly released it. "You did. And I believe you don't." My voice was suddenly a little stern.

Jon laughed. "Do you really think I'd talk about something I really didn't remember? How am I supposed to talk about something I don't remember?" I could hear him smiling.

I was embarrassed for a moment. Thank goodness this wasn't a conversation in person.

"Your point being?" I tried to sound collected.

"My point is, I _do _remember," Jon said.

"Sure," I countered, "bits and pieces, right?" I could hear a hint of bitterness in my own voice. It surprised me.

"Nope," he retorted coolly. "I remember everything – every word, every gesture, every hairstrand I'd tucked behind your ear," he overstated. I wouldn't deny that I loved his embellishments on his words, though.

"How so?"

"Jill. I wasn't that drunk, okay?"

"Okay." I paused, trying to think. "So you do remember. And why are you telling me this?"

"Because I have to?" He sounded uncertain.

I arched a brow, waiting for him to respond, but then realized that he couldn't see my face. "You think so? Why?"

"I have to, because you don't like it."

"What?" I voiced shock and inquisitiveness.

"I know it hurt you when you thought I didn't remember," he replied matter-of-factly.

It hurt me? How did he know that?

As though he heard my thoughts, he spoke again. "You weren't _you _earlier in your match, and Punk kept telling me you were acting like you had dysmenorrhea," he explained, answering the question in my head. He chuckled a little at the menstruation part.

So it must have been Punk giving him clues. His pipe bombs were unstoppable.

No words would come out of my mouth. I was, like… happy, and embarrassed, and just naturally high all of a sudden. I couldn't believe it. He remembered. It felt really nice.

"I… um," I stammered, unsure of what to say. "Yes… I… I was a little distracted. It kind of bothered me," I admitted. But even saying that 'it kind of bothered me' was an understatement. "But don't worry about it, it's all – "

"Oww! Shit," Jon exclaimed.

"You all right?" I asked.

"Yeah, just tripped over something." He laughed heartily. And even if it was music to my ears as he laughed, my face was baffled upon knowing that he tripped over something.

"Where you at?"

"Outside the bar," he muttered. So he was drinking again?

"Drinking?" I asked unflappably.

"Yeah," he replied. I started to frown a little. "That dog shit looks withered!" He laughed nonsensically.

I strangely took pleasure in hearing Jon become so random all of a sudden, after he had just been acting contrite moments ago as he committedly explicated his apology to me. But I thought about it carefully. Maybe he really didn't intend to have this conversation with me tonight.

It was sad to think that it must have probably been the alcohol, again. That freakin' beverage. That had to be it again, right?

Then, I started to put the pieces together. I remembered what Daniel and Cody had told me earlier. _He has just broken up with his girlfriend… And he's drinking tonight. _This had to be some heartbreak-drinking-sessions, right?

Remembering about the _bad news_, I elected to broach the subject. "Hey, I'm sorry about you and your… girlfriend," I carefully said, biting my tongue once the words were finally out.

He chuckled. "What?"

"I heard from Daniel," I said. "I understand you're having a hard time. Don't drink too much though, please?" I voiced sincerity.

He actually laughed so hard, I thought he literally went rolling on the floor laughing. "What are you talking about? I'm actually having a good time!" Jon exclaimed.

I didn't know how to react to this.

"Believe me, I have been waiting for this breakup for a long time," he continued, "long time, yes. Even though we've only been together for three fucking months."

I couldn't believe it. He was having fun. I didn't know if I should explore the subject and ask him more about it or not. I mean, even if it did sound quite good to me, I couldn't imagine how someone couldn't care less after breaking up with their lover.

When I didn't say anything, still, he continued rambling. "That cum-guzzling whore." My face cringed at his distasteful words referring to his ex. "It's good riddance, ya'know. I'm drinking like it's the end of the world! It's a fucking celebration!" Jon did sound like he rejoiced, I heard his voice faltering as he shouted these words – was he actually, literally jumping in joy as he said those?

I was absolutely speechless. Then I wondered what their relationship had been like or what kind of woman his ex had been like that he seemed to hate her with a passion. At first I thought he was just trying to cover up his true feelings – the pain he felt. But then, _in vino veritas. _In wine, there's truth.

I chuckled nervously. "Wow," I spoke for the first time in long minutes. "You're actually rejoicing."

"Ofcourse," he drunkenly said. Silence followed, and for some reason that type of silence apparently became our cue to drop the subject. They broke up, Jon was happy about it, period. No questions asked.

Now that he was once again being honest and open like he had been last night, I'd take advantage. I had one thing to know.

"Hey," I said. "Can I ask you something?"

"What's that, sweet cheeks?" I just realized he called me 'sweet cheeks' the second time around. It felt freakin' magical.

"Um," I began nervously. "I'm just curious... why did you have to lie to me?" I was edgy the moment the words were out of my mouth.

I heard a loud truck horn as it rushed by.

"Honestly?" I listened intently. "I don't even know." His words were a puzzle I wanted to solve. "I guess I was very ashamed of my indiscretions last night, I had to pretend I have no memory of whatever I'd told you."

"Indiscretions? You're calling your little story-telling an _indiscretion_?" I gasped in disbelief. "Jon, you've just told me a very inspiring story last night! You have no idea how it serves as an encouragement to anyone who hears about it. Please don't feel bad about it. Because as far as I'm concerned, the story of your tough life is what strengthens you the most, pushing you to success each and every time!" I said to him truthfully, hoping that every word registered into his heart and mind well. He didn't have to be ashamed about anything. I adored him as an individual. He deserved to know how I saw him as a person.

He didn't say anything after that. I swallowed.

"Hello?" I said, making sure he was still there.

"Hi," he playfully answered. "You amaze me, sweet cheeks. No one has ever said those things to me. Well, maybe a lot have, but they never meant it. I don't know why your words possess such impact."

Once again, thank goodness this wasn't a conversation in person, or he would've seen the redness of my face. My cheeks felt hot. I was thrilled in a really crazy way upon hearing his words.

"You deserve to hear it," I convinced him wholeheartedly. "So don't do that ever again. You see, I really thought you didn't remember."

"I'm sorry," he expressed regret. "But as I said, I wasn't _that _drunk to forget about what happened. I wasn't _stone drunk_."

I thought for a moment. "Stone drunk?"

"Yeah, stone drunk. When you could hardly manage to walk or function," he explained.

"Oh." I nodded in understanding. I just learned something new to add to my vocabulary. "What about now, though? Are you stone drunk?"

He laughed. "Do you really think I cannot walk anymore at this point?"

"Well. You were tripping over a few stuff earlier." I countered, giving a little sarcasm as I restrained a giggle.

He laughed again. I loved its sound. It was addictive. "Okay, that was genius," he complimented my little witty remark. "And no, I'm not stone drunk."

"So... will you remember this conversation later when you wake up?"

"Yes," his voice was solid.

"And pretend to have no memory of it again?" I pressed.

He was silent after that question, as though he was collecting his thoughts.

"Nope," he answered calmly.

My lips curved into a smile. "Well… we'll have to see about that."

"Are you challenging me, sweet cheeks?"

"Not exactly." I playfully giggled.

At 12:45 AM, we hung up. He said he would remember this conversation huh. And that he wouldn't even pretend to have no memory of it.

Okay, cool. But this time, I wouldn't do that stupid mistake again: I wouldn't expect.

With an unwavering smile on my face, I sandwiched myself back into the bed between Cody and D-Bry and fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N: As always, thank you all ever so much for spending time reading. I wholeheartedly appreciate it. Thank you so much.**

**P.S.: The chapter had gotten quite too long. I kind of lost control, sorry if you think it's gotten a little too long.**

**What do you guys think of this chapter? What do you think of Jon now? And Jill? ;P**


	13. Chapter 13

_I never expected this storyline to have such great impact on me. The moment I'd engaged into this angle in the company, never ever once had this thought come to my head – that lines between what was reality and what wasn't, would be blurred…_

_That this love storyline could interfere with our real lives…_

_That this 'simulated' romance could actually be translated into reality…_

_That Carlito and I… could actually be something special._

_The texts were nonstop. The phone calls were nothing but merriment, that I'd always almost perceived it to be more fun-filled than any action-packed scene our industry had ever produced. Everytime we were with each other, I wouldn't trade it with any moment in the world in my life._

_I loved his company. He'd brought me inexplicable joy… Even though we were not officially together. Even though I couldn't call him mine, yet. I was just enjoying what we were having at the time, taking things slow._

_I actually believed in love for the first time… for the first time in 21 years of my existence, I was falling in love. Who would've thought, someone actually cared about an uncommon earthling like me in a really special way. I was on cloud nine. I was like, already so sure that he'd be my first (and hopefully last) boyfriend. Heck, I even considered devising up my own weird ideas on how I would like my first kiss to happen, together with my first real official date, first anniversary gifts, and many many fruitful years and what the wedding would look like… _

_Then one day, the amorous texts stopped. For some reason, there were no more sugary late night phone calls, too. I ached for his voice, for a single text message, but I got none. Stranger, even, I just suddenly never saw him again. I was disconcerted and desperate. What the heck was going on? I wanted a text message, and each time I urged myself to text him, I either got a flimsy excuse or no reply at all. I wanted to see him. Like bond with him again like how we normally did._

_Like God answered my prayers, I actually got to see him again after what felt like a decade. I was excited upon hearing from the others that he was finally appearing on the show tonight. But I… I couldn't believe my eyes._

_A tall, blonde, slender woman sat on a table as she was cornered by well-toned arms that belonged to… oh, it was Carlito. _

_What were- Huh? My mind was a muddle. Oh, what was I seeing? Did Carlito just lean in to kiss her? Oh, now they were hugging. And kissing again. Smooching. Now making out. Now groping. And I heard the woman softly giggle in between the kisses._

_I elected to hide myself behind a wall and did not dare look anymore. I closed my eyes, trying to regain composure._

"_I love you, baby," I heard the woman._

"_I love you more," Carlito said back._

_Either I was exaggerating, or I really felt like blacking out in a few. My heart pounded so hard, I could feel it through my chest. My blood pumped so loud in my veins – no, it boiled and I felt heat charging all over my body. I felt like I was in Resident Evil and a zombie had just bitten me, and now I was just waiting for the virus to devour me and turn me into one of them._

_So this was it? This was why the communication suddenly came to an end? This was… this was why… UGH SCREW IT! How could he! How in the – I COULDN'T UNDERSTAND! He led me on! He freaking led me on! I couldn't absorb any of it. I was downright broken. He held my heart so tight, and I felt it slip from his hands as it hit the ground which was somewhat filled with barbed wire and broken glass._

_Why? That single word of a brokenhearted soul rung in my head to infinity. Why? WHY?_

_My eyes burned and were swiftly all watery. My sight was blurred with tears, until they streamed down my miserable face before I could hold them back._

_I was so shattered. I was driven so insane, I wanted to crash my head into a glass pane. _

_He left. This Puerto Rican man with the most beautiful fro I'd ever seen had made me fall in love. And I fell hard. It was madsick._

_Carlito left. And he left without a word. Not a 'so long', not any 'see ya around', no nothing._

_He left without saying goodbye to me. And it was why it hurt the most._

_I wanted to beg him to stay. But was it right? No. We were not together. I couldn't do anything. He wasn't mine. We just had some special thing, like that load of crap mutual-understanding-highschool-thing. But I hadn't been ready at the time, so that was all that went between the two of us. But that was because I was waiting till it felt right. And I thought he waited with me. That he waited for me._

_But then I finally became ready to have a relationship. I finally became ready to commit. Only, he had gotten tired, perhaps. Went for someone else. Leaving me behind, broken and couldn't go on._

_My thoughts rumbled, and my head swam through them. The warm tears kept streaming down my face like there was no tomorrow._

I woke up with tears in my eyes. My heart was so heavy that I had to use all my strength to drag my body up. Once I was sitting up, I compelled my system to calm and get myself together. My hands went to cover my face, where tears were sprinkled on.

I had never had a worse dream. And this morning, I realized that after three-plus years, that nightmare still haunted me. Three years was a long time, and I would've expected myself to get over Carlito. And I did get over him. It even helped that he left the company. I knew I was over him, I didn't care who he now went out with or what. But the pain… it was what haunted me; the pain, the dent that was left in my heart that couldn't be easily filled in, and which was also the reason I had been overprotective of my heart, building up barriers around it since that heartbreak I'd experienced. It was a trauma that I couldn't overcome. I thought I was in the throes of prevailing over it, but with one single bad dream it all came back, giving me some sort of reminder that went like, _Uh-oh. Not so fast, I'm still here_.

As these thoughts swarmed in my head, my face buried in my hands, I came to be conscious of how very afraid I still was, up to this day. Because of that period in my life, my heart had become so fragile and I'd become so paranoid that I didn't want to expose it too much. I was naturally a risk-taker in the ring, but in real life I was one too terrified to take risks.

I was overly afraid of getting hurt again… of being left alone in the dark and not being able to go on.

For some reason, the paranoia and terror combined and I came to put everything together in my head, coming up with this crazy idea that I just might go through the same pain with Jon if I wouldn't be too careful. The thought got me all scared-stiff. I didn't want to think that I was getting ahead of myself but I couldn't help but wonder if Jon could really be capable of inflicting that kind of pain on me. It was a sad notion.

Scaring me more, was being reminded of my previous occasions with Jon. I couldn't forget the way I felt when he treated me coldly. Man, like, how wounded was I when that happened? And when I thought he didn't remember about his drunken storytelling? I winced. And now that I just had another drunken Jon opening up to me last night, I could only anticipate the pain I would feel again later, if he ever was to pretend to have no memory of it again. _Will I ever have a sane conversation with him at his sober state? And will it still be as open of a conversation even without the alcohol's influence?_

* * *

It was a night for another house show. House shows hardly ever applied any pressure on us, as it was not televised. Like one hour before it was going to start, I was still in my gray hoodie and ripped faded jeans and sneakers walking around the building like a lunatic, totally undecided of where to go. I should've been discussing my match Kaitlyn, but the thoughts in my head were messing with me again.

Even when I put on my Cocaine headphones which were blasting with Story of the Year songs, the freaky thoughts were still louder and they just never left. _Pain. Trauma. Fear. You're gonna get hurt. Be careful. _What the heck? Freakin' shut up!

The freaky thoughts, dancing together with the lyrics of the songs – they were a freakin' brainstorm. I was lost in thought as I continued walking down the hall, opening every single door and closing them back when I didn't feel like it was the room I wanted to be in. Crazy, right?

Eventually, I pulled open a door that led to a room which had D-Bry and the big red machine, Kane (Glenn Jacobs in real life), in it. _All right, this feels like the one I should be walking in._

I walked in on Kane and D-Bry arguing about something. They were always seen bickering at one another, whether it was on-screen or off-screen. But they argued less behind the camera than they did on-cam. Still unaware, or just really unsettled about the direction I was going, my feet sort of dragged themselves into the men's shower room, catching both Kane and D-Bry from my peripheral view trail me as I walked past them.

Once I stepped into the shower area, I was still hearing voices in my head. They didn't counsel me, though. Nor did they understand. _Okay, so this is the men's shower room. Do I really want to be here? What am I doing here? Why did I –_

I slowly pulled my headphones off my ears and hung them around my neck.

"Jill!"

I nearly jumped before whirling around quickly to see D-Bry, already in his ring gear and YES! jacket, with utter puzzlement and annoyance plastered on his face.

"What are you doing?" His voice was snappy and his eyes were snooty.

My lips slowly parted, but my whole mouth stayed open for long, as no answer came. I wished that I could find the words to say, but D-Bry's question to me was something like that of every vindictive Math teacher I had back when I was still a student. I hated that subject with a passion, random fact. English fudgin' rules.

_Well? What am I doing going into the men's shower room?_

"We're live," came a really low, cold, and unemotional voice. I looked up and my gaze was fixed on a pair of eyes, the other a normal dark color and the other with a white out contact lens. Not only was Kane naturally emotionless, but he literally wore a crimson mask, too – which was why it was hard to read him.

"We were actually filming right when you walked in," D-Bry unpleasantly informed me.

My heart began to pound. _We're live? _Gosh. Oh my gosh. I had just done a mess, hadn't I?

"Holy…cow I'm so sorry, oh gosh!" I started breathing heavily and I was panic-stricken once again. How stupid I was to ruin a segment being aired live! "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry I was just," I was relentless and committed to apologizing, "looking for something." What a flimsy excuse. Looking for something? In the men's shower? Stupid.

When they just stared at me, I was sweating cold. "Flying freak! I'm really sorry guys like seriously I did not mean to," I panted, my hands rapidly motioning. "Uh, did the cam really capture me? Do you think they recognize me? I think they won't, you know? I'm not even in my ring gear yet, I'm just.. – I can't, oh crap I'm sorry I'm really really – " I trailed off suddenly when the goat man and the devil's favorite demon broke out laughing before me.

"What sorcery is this?" I asked, so uncomprehending at the time that I was sure my face looked like I just saw Ricardo Rodriguez streaking around. They continued to laugh, until their jaws probably got tired. Shortly, I was able to put them together in my head: These two were just fooling around.

I folded my arms across my chest and rolled my eyes.

"Dude, you just got duped!" D-Bry exclaimed in joy. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" When he wouldn't stop raising his hands, I attempted to run toward him and courageously tackle him, except Kane's arm blocked my way.

"All right," Kane whispered, "cut it out, Bryan. She seems really lost." Kane actually tried suppressing a laugh.

This wasn't Kane anymore. It was Glenn – a man who was quite easy to read in real life, who actually had a variety of emotions to go along with different situations, someone who was just fun to be with because you'd love to hear his funny stories.

"D-Bry I will feed your briefs to Slater's rats!" I spat nonsensically out of irritation, my arms violently trying to get a hold of him but he would use Glenn's massive size as a shield.

"What in the world, it's a house show! You really think we're live? You're lost!" D-Bry laughed. "We were just talking about our tagteam match!"

"Now you seem like you're out of your mind, kid." Glenn laid a hand on my shoulder.

Actually, they were right. I was lost. I was out of my mind. My honest opinion for real was that I could thank them for tricking me because it made me snap back into reality.

"And what were you doing going into the men's shower room?" Glenn gently asked.

I was so embarrassed. "Sorry," I managed, "I really don't know."

"Jill, since when did you learn to stalk men while they shower?" D-Bry mocked, his face was freakin' annoying. "Sorry to tell you but, this is not the room that _Jon_ uses."

I couldn't believe he said that with Glenn around. My face was so hot and I wanted to come at freakin' goat face. Despite this however, I stood still, and Glenn looked at me gaping. He was probably surprised to hear that.

"_Jon_?" He looked at Daniel. D-Bry only covered his mouth in response, looking at me with a fake _OMG, sorry! _expression. "That's not Cena, right?" Glenn adjusted his glove.

Awkward silence.

"Um, I think I heard Jericho call me, bee-are-bee!" D-Bry wisely sneaked out of our sight before I could strangle him.

"Don't mind him," I said, trying to convince Glenn once D-Bry was momentarily out of the room. "His goat hormones are attacking again."

Glenn fixedly looked at me for seconds. I stared at him through that crimson mask and a few curly strands falling over his face. Looking up at him for long kind of always hurt my neck. He was such a giant.

"Come here," he said as he led me out of the shower room and to the bench in the locker room. I sat down, unsure of what he was about to say.

"What's bothering you?" Glenn asked as soon as he sat beside me. You couldn't quite see how sincere he was through his eyes, but his voice made you feel like you could trust him all the time.

"N-nothing, really."

"Come on." He shook his head. There was a short pause. "You know, the last time I'd seen you that lost was years ago when you got really close to someone… _cool_," Glenn remarked analytically. My insides tensed. "Am I right to confirm it that history is repeating itself now?" He smirked behind his mask.

Now how the heck did he just go to talking about that? I knew then that I had to avoid the subject and divert the conversation somewhere else.

"What the heck, dude," I began casually, trying to sound relaxed. "I'm just…" I paused. _Come on Jill. Think. Come on! _"I'm just really nervous about my match tonight."

Wow. That was freakin' lame. _You're so stupid. _Hashtag face palm_. _The moment the words were out, I knew he was totally not going to buy it.

"Jill," he said almost in a whisper after palming his masked face. "You've been wrestling for years now."

_I know, Glenn. I have been here for quite a long time now. Also, I am freaking stupid to say that I'm nervous about tonight's match. Ofcourse I'm not nervous! _

"I understand you, though. Almost every wrestler goes through that minor stage, despite being around in the business for long." His eyes were suddenly glued to the ground, his lips curved into a smile.

I couldn't believe it. He actually bought it.

"But you know what? Sometimes you just kinda have to go out there and get it done," Glenn spoke with solidity, now looking at me. "Yeah, really. How will you find out what awaits you out there, if you'll let fear take over? Fight out the nervousness, right? You just go out that curtain and walk down to the ring and do your job," he explained. Speechless, I simply nodded to his words. "If you get hurt and broken, take a break and let time heal the wounds. But don't let fear hinder you from once again trying to open up your heart…" For a moment right there my ears stiffened and I felt like his little speech was going quite out of topic. "…open it up to doing what you always love to do – wrestle and entertain the universe." He smiled, and I was able to see the Spongebob-gap in his teeth.

His words felt really soothing. But the truth was, everything he said was true. And I could just apply it in real life right then and there. _Let time heal the wounds… Don't let fear hinder you from once again trying to open up your heart. _His words rung in my head, resounding all over my skull and somewhat alarming my heart.

_Maybe I shouldn't be so afraid. _Glenn's words to me were like that of a father's, and to be honest they were like my official first sign that I had to be tough… that I had to take risks. Since that bad dream this morning my mind had never been at peace. But who would've thought that talking to Glenn was easily the solution, and after hearing his words? I felt like I truly didn't want to be afraid anymore.

_I love you from the deepest backbone of my heart, Glenn._

"Thank you so much," I said appreciatively with a smile. "I promise to be tough… out there tonight in my match." I almost failed to suppress a chuckle at that.

I just couldn't help it. Not only was Glenn ever so fantastic in giving me encouragement, but I also couldn't believe that he bought my flimsy excuse.

"Anytime." He displayed a tight-lipped smile. But I wanted to see his Spongebob-teeth-gap.

When we were finally both smiling at one another, I thought our conversation was already over until he spoke again, "Hey by the way. So if it's _not _Cena… Um, I only know one other _Jon_ on the roster today who could just fit right in your qualifications. And boy, is he a new hot stuff."

A piece of ice slid down my spine. Okay, maybe he didn't buy it at all.

"Jill!"

Like he had not just tried to humiliate me earlier, I wanted to really thank D-Bry for walking back into the room before I could even try to think of a response to Glenn that would save my butt.

"Cody said you're not doing it right!" D-Bry said in-between his mild laughs, approaching us.

"What?" I asked him with an annoyed look. Though I really was thankful that he butted in.

"Consult him later for some _stalking _techniques." He wryly smiled.

"I'm gonna cut your insanely grown out goat beard, I'm telling you." I stood up and he was before me.

"Don't do that. He uses that beard to mend his socks," Glenn pointed. _What the heaven? _I actually belly-laughed.

"No, I don't!" D-Bry retorted, not so amused by Glenn's comment. "You have a weird habit of tickling your ears with your hair!" Daniel exclaimed.

"Oh yeah? Well atleast I don't wear Crocs to autograph signings." Glenn stood, towering over D-Bry.

"Atleast I have never seen an episode of _Keeping Up with the Kardashians_!" D-Bry yelled.

"You're just jealous because you don't get to eat meat."

"Well you're just jealous that you can't use a toothpick because of that gap in your teeth!"

"I'm not jealous, you're jealous!"

"No I'm not, you are!"

"No, you're jealous!"

"You're jealous!"

"Guys!" I interrupted their preposterous squabble and silence consequently fell over us. I displayed a sweet, persuasive smile. Both men looked at me, awaiting my words. "Hug it out now, will you?"

They looked at one another, and then back at me. There was a pause.

"NO!" They bellowed in unison.

* * *

**A/N: What the flying freak? Did I just die for a week and didn't update my story? Man. That's an injustice, ain't it?**

**I'm sorry for the delay, it's just that schoolwork has really gotten me tied up. College life is a little violent at times. Anyways.**

**Question: What do you think of this chapter? Actually I'm pretty curious about who among my readers would say something, anything about that Carlito-angle I tried to put here. Just out of curiosity. Let me know what you think! ;p**

**P.S. - LadyEvil21, this chapter is especially written for you. I think you know why! ;) I don't expect you to like it, I mean... I tried! HAHAHA I really, really tried to write Kane. Hahahaha I'm a little nervous of what your reaction's going to be. Once again, thank you very much, you sweet earthling.**

**THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ACTUALLY SPENDS THEIR TIME READING, AND REVIEWING THIS STORY. All my love to you. Peace!**


	14. Chapter 14

"So, I'm just gonna have you small-package me," I told Kaitlyn while I taped my wrists all the way up to my hands, leaving the fingers bare.

We were discussing our eight minute-match for tonight's house show and I just came up with the finish we were about to do.

"All right," she said agreeably, brushing her hair with her gloved hand. "Bitch out, okay?"

I laughed. "Sure," I replied. So I was a heel in the WWE and a major part of my job was to do things that would displease fans. I had to make them hate me, which was honestly much easier than pleasing people.

"Ugh, I'm gonna have to change." Kaitlyn tugged at her cleavage-exposing top. "I don't want another wardrobe malfunction." We both laughed.

As soon as she walked off to change, I looked myself in the mirror: I was completely geared in my brown cargo pants, black combat boots, my hands strapped with white tape, and exposing my ten year-old-boy's abdomen was a white sleeveless crop top with the Japanese logo of Tekken on it.

Ordinary night, usual routine – go out there and kick butt. Yeap, I was ready.

I walked out to my entrance music, which was "Falling Apart" by Zebrahead. Boos were resounding throughout the arena, it was awesome. I loved interacting with the haters, I either just made faces at them or badmouthed them a little. Despite a majority of haters, there were still a couple of really loyal followers of mine, cheering for me and some even holding up signs. As I walked down the ramp I cockily raised one arm, not looking at anyone after I was done badmouthing with them.

I got in the ring not taking off my cocky smile, and I sat on the top turnbuckle as I acted downright bored of waiting for Kaitlyn to come out.

Since I was made fun of as a midget in my company (used to it), my in-ring style was technical with a little too much of high-flying and submission holds. I guess that kind of style would probably be a common strength of the smaller wrestlers. But because I was a heel at the time, I had to lie low a little and cut down my moveset. Now I was incorporating a lot of dirty tactics so that I'd draw those delicious boos from the fans.

Kaitlyn and I started off by acting like we wanted to test each other's physical strength. I kicked off with my usual routine: badmouth, smirk, and show off. I ran to bounce off the ropes and leapt my way to do a shoulder-block on Kaitlyn, but ofcourse that would not be enough to take her down. I fell on fours and acted like a really pissed little kid before yelling, "You try it, porky-pork!" to Kaitlyn. She bounced off the ropes and collided with me, turning me upside down and inside out as I landed on the canvas. I started violently striking my fists against the mat, acting all irate and the fans were totally behind Kaitlyn.

Halfway through the match, I was applying the cross face chicken wing hold on her. She managed to break the hold, dragging me by the hair and giving me a snapmare; I landed on my butt. She Irish-whipped me and I bounced off the ropes, running to her as she perfectly carried my small frame for me to execute my signature tilt-a-whirl-DDT. Kaitlyn sold it well, and I was like a greedy homeless kid when I went for the pin. She kicked out at two and I started grabbing the referee by the shirt, complaining. When I whirled around, colliding me out of nowhere was a vicious spear, knocking me out cold… except I was smart enough to make a ring escape through the bottom rope. I started to walk away from the ring, making the fans believe that I was not finishing my match. It drew a lot of heat, it was awesome. Before I could even step further up the ramp Kaitlyn grabbed me and threw me back into the ring. I raked her eyes, allowing me to capitalize, and I prepared to do a modified arm breaker on her left arm when she reversed it, swinging me over and small-packaging me for the win. 1-2-3! Kaitlyn won.

* * *

By 11:00 PM, an hour after the house show was through, I was in my faded jeans and Mayday Parade shirt strolling around the building in my sneakers with Cody. There were times that we felt like already going to the hotel after a show, and there were those times where we just hung around a little too long. This night was one of them.

We didn't know where D-Bry was. He wasn't in the locker room, and Cody and I decided to go find him in the arena.

When we stepped out of the curtain, it was nearly empty and the torn and frayed signs scattered all over the place were the only trace of the fans we'd once again entertained. There were only a few people: a bunch of WWE crew wrapping up and packing up, a group of WWE refs on our right discussing about something, and Stephanie McMahon talking to some executive of some organization who had watched the show.

But looking from afar, right up the upper box seats, I saw Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose.

_Jon. _My eyes quickly transmitted the message to my brain. _What are they still doing here? _

"Well would you look at that. The Shield still hangin' around huh," Cody pointed, referring to the three guys by their stable name, which had been officially born last Monday Night RAW when Michael Cole did an interview with them, their very first one in the WWE. Ofcourse, I instantly became the number one fan of the freshest freaking stable in the company. Their gimmick was just badass, too. Rallying against _injustices _in the WWE? These boys were a dream!

"Yeah," I said, "fancy that." As usual, my voice was trying hard at sounding casual when in actuality, what I truly wanted to say was something like, _What the flambams! Destiny! _I shook the thought off.

Jon was in his gym shorts and white body-fit shirt, while Seth and Roman were shirtless. I didn't know why there was some voice in my head complaining about Jon wearing a shirt. Oops. From what I could see, the three men were pacing down and back up the steps of the staircase on the upper box section. They seemed to be working on something.

"Looks like Paul is now handing them down some assignments." Cody lowered his head to say it almost right in my ear. I actually failed to notice that Triple H, a.k.a. Paul, was also with The Shield up there. And I couldn't agree more with what Cody said. Perhaps they were talking business. "Come on," Cody said, "let's go check it out."

_Are you kidding me? _

"What?" I said the word as though Cody had just told me something like D-Bry getting pregnant. I was sure my face was an utter puzzle. _What do you mean check it out? Like approach them? _I was so antsy about encountering Jon that night the first time since our very interesting phone call the previous night. "No way," I said before Cody could even respond.

Cody looked at me askance. "What is wrong with you?" He actually laughed as a means to express disbelief. I just stared, giving him an anxious look. He raised a brow. "Okay," he said, "I know what this is about."

_No, you don't. _Not taking my eyes off of him, I folded my arms across my chest.

He let out a scornful laugh. "Jill" – he rubbed the back of his head – "I know you're still thinking about your little phone conversation with Jon."

My eyes widened. _How in the world? _I opened my mouth, but before words could come out Cody shortly spoke again.

"Don't worry, I didn't follow you when you went outside our room last night, so I didn't hear anything. No freaking clue what you two talked about." He winked.

But it still got me antsy. Sometimes, my solid friendship with D-Bry and Cody made me feel a little uncomfortable about the fact that I almost couldn't hide anything from them anymore. I loved them so much, but at times they were being such prying moles. But then again I would never hide anything from them. They were the ones I'd always trusted implicitly.

"How the heck did you figure out it was him? And I thought you were freakin' dead asleep!"

"Half-asleep," Cody said with a sneer. "I got curious so I grabbed your phone this morning when you were still snoring, and checked your call history. Bingo."

I looked away. "I don't snore, by the way."

"Doesn't matter," he shrugged. "Either way, we're walking up to the upper box… right now!" Laughing, he violently wrapped his arm around my neck and over my shoulders, dragging me with him as he began walking down the ramp. And I couldn't do anything.

My feet followed Cody's lead against their will and despite this, thoughts went kicking off another battle royal in my head again. I was in a panic, and was dead nervous about having to face Jon at this point. _Will he remember? Will he dismiss everything again? What am I supposed to say to him?_

I was kind of unconsciously just moving, hopping over the barricade and walking up the stairs thanks to Cody's aggressive dragging, and before I realized it we were right up where The Shield were, breathing the same air as them. They didn't notice us at first, their backs were on us as the three men focused on Paul, who looked like he really was saying something important to them.

"You three work on that," Paul civilly ordered, looking at the three guys. Before he stepped to leave, he took notice of Cody and I. Looking past Jon and his stable-mates, Paul addressed Cody, "The 'stache is looking great." He smiled at Cody, and then at me.

Right then, the three men whirled around to see us.

Cody's laugh at Paul's comment was ineffable. "You should call dad, he misses you," he told Paul.

And while Cody and Paul were momentarily focused on one another, I had to deal with maintaining my composure as The Shield kept their eyes on me. Actually, Jon was the only one that was making me feel really uneasy. Well, I was enjoying it. It was a tricky feeling – uneasy and enjoyable at the same time. But thinking about my anticipation of what was going to happen, if whether or not he would acknowledge the conversation we had last night, I was by all means stir-crazy on the inside. I couldn't maintain eye contact.

"I can't wait till he gets better and comes back to NXT," Paul said, before turning his attention back to the other three. "All right, you three, that's your assignment. I'll go now" – he looked at me – "Jill, we have plans for you, we'll talk about it soon."

Okay, I was amazed to hear this. "Sounds great." I smiled genuinely.

"All right!" Cody ruffled my hair in excitement. I looked at him, unimpressed as I tried to fix my hair back into place.

"All of you, don't hang around too long" – Paul swung his index finger over the five of us – "later." He walked off until he was far from us.

"So what's that assignment about?" asked Cody, who still weighed me down with his arm on my shoulders.

"Our entrance style," Seth said. _Wow. Sounds interesting. _"By the way" – he pulled their other teammate in front of us – "Roman Reigns, well Joe Anoa'i actually," Seth introduced.

"Yeah yeah I'm quite familiar with him," Cody said as he held out his hand to Joe, "a guy from a wrestling dynasty – awesome!"

Joe accepted Cody's hand and smiled. "Your pops is the man," Joe remarked. He then extended his gigantic palm to me. Not only did he tower over me like the rest of the guys in the locker room, but his gargantuan hand looked like it could squash my tiny hand. I placed my hand in his and to my surprise, his squeeze was gentle and considerate.

"Nice to finally meet you." I smiled. I realized that this was the first time Cody and I saw Joe with both Seth and Jon.

"Colby is a liar," Joe said, shortly glancing at Seth.

"_Colby_?" I asked, confused.

"My real name," Seth clarified.

_Oh. Colby is Seth Rollins. _"Is that so? I didn't know. _Seth_ sounds nicer, though." I pouted at Seth.

"You can keep calling me that. I respond to either name," he said with a smile.

"Well, now that I've been informed, I'll be more likely to call you _Colby _from this day forward," I told Colby matter-of-factly, and I did immediately feel like calling him _Colby _then. "So" – I shifted my gaze back to Joe – "Why is _Colby _a liar?" I asked with interest.

"He said you weren't that tiny in person. But I'm looking at you now and I feel like we could be father-daughter," Joe explained in that consistent deep and serious tone but it wasn't enough to keep us all from laughing.

I risked a glance at Jon and saw him only smiling, his eyes on the floor.

"Good one, man." Cody's body was shaking as he kept laughing, his arm around me choking me almost.

We were all laughing and I realized I still hadn't had any form of communication with Jon at this point.

"Dude, I can almost swear I've been encountering different people who have various ways to describe me when I meet them," I told Joe and Colby, still softly laughing.

"Nothing beats Jon's description of you, though," Joe smilingly mentioned. An air of silence suddenly rushed over us. Jon quickly looked at Joe, his tongue pushing his left cheek outwardly. What an unreadable expression. Colby was smiling, teeth showing, but was looking at Joe also, as if waiting eagerly for his next words. Cody was silent, also seemingly anticipating the follow-up statement of Joe, who still had that innocent smile of a man randomly sharing something. I was like frozen until Joe continued, "He says you're like a highschool girl." His smile grew wide.

_Don't turn red. Don't you freaking turn red, Jill. _

Colby playfully scorned at Jon while he just chuckled, his head kept down a little. Cody was laughing and was again violating me with his hair-ruffling sessions. I couldn't think quite properly, as the only notion I had in mind was that of Jon possibly talking to his friends about me. I felt a blush creeping into my face.

"Hey by the way," Cody said as soon as the laughs slowly died down, "what's the plan for your entrance?"

"Well, we'll be coming out from this area" – Colby started down the stairs – "and basically walk down from here till we get to the ring."

"Actually," Joe spoke as he walked down a few steps behind Colby, "how about you help us get this entrance good and badass?"

"Perfect," Cody muttered, immediately letting go of me to follow the two guys.

"So I think we're just gonna have to do this." Colby demonstrated their idea by acting like he was shoving away the grabbing hands of the fans as they walked down the stairs. Cody and Joe were muttering something to the affirmative which I could hardly understand anymore, as the three of them began descending further down the steps.

Then it was that time again. That awkward, uneasy, yet enjoyable time when Jonathan Good and Jill Oliveira were once again, gauchely left alone together. _Oh boy._

I kept staring at Cody, Joe, and Colby, who were several steps further down from us now, and I could hear them rambling about their entrance, but I knew what really was the only thing running in my head at this point.

"Hey," Jon whispered. With the familiar feeling of surprise, I looked at him and saw that tight-lipped, dimply smile again.

"Hey, what's going on?" I returned his smile. Feeling conscious, I ran a hand through my hair to straighten it.

He pursed his lips for seconds, perhaps trying to think. "Well, the entrance," he said uncertainly and shrugged. Sluggishly, he began for the stairs. Despite looking lazy to walk down, he was descending quickly and I followed him right away.

"So, basically the plan is for you guys to walk through the crowd?" I asked, taking the steps down slowly behind him.

"Yeah." His voice was low as usual but was actually a little more energetic compared to the previous days.

"Well," I said as I started to play step-jumping on the stairs, "just so you know" - I jumped - "you guys are about to have one of the most kickass entrances in the history of this business." I hopped on the next step, landing on both feet.

I stopped when he suddenly stopped. When he slightly turned to look at me, I didn't know if it was what I said, or my childish little hopping game that caused that unreadable look on his face. I was just two steps higher than him so our eye levels almost met.

I pressed my lips together. I wish I knew what he was thinking, because not knowing what went on in his head with that look he was giving me really got me stir-crazy and just unexplainable.

Just when I thought nothing could break our little eye-lock, his lips curved into a teeth-showing smile.

"Watch your steps and be careful, _little girl_." He softly chuckled at my little playing. I could not, not smile at this. I realized he was trying to poke a little fun at me, but I still was hesitant to play along because I might push the wrong buttons and ruin our little moment.

"It's fun, Jon." I smiled impishly. "And I'm careful enough!" The safest response I could throw.

"Sure," Jon said in a good-natured, playful kind of arrogant voice. His face had a fake 'not impressed' look on it. "What am I forgetting here – oh – you're the _stray bullet_, you're not capable of suffering harm; you're that badass, I'm sorry." He raised his hands and turned to walk down the stairs.

My face was blank for a few seconds before I broke out belly-laughing. I couldn't believe it. That voice, that face, the whole act was just too darn funny. I wasn't expecting it. I scurried down the stairs to get behind him.

I was still laughing like a kid with the Muppets surrounding her. "Stop that." I softly smacked his arm from behind. I got stunned myself when I did that. The gesture kind of like emerged distinctly through suds of involuntary muscles and brain commands.

He whirled around and looked at me with narrow eyes, that fake and jokey _I'm gonna hunt you down for doing that_ look written all over his face.

"Okay, I'm scared," I mocked, holding out a peace sign in his face.

"You should be," he said confidently. "Because I know where your weak spot is."

I would admit that the thought didn't scare me and it actually excited me a bit. But I was dead curious as to what he was talking about.

I looked at him with a wrinkled face. "Huh?" Despite feeling confused, I was smiling oddly.

He held up his right index finger while he displayed that duck face. I shrugged. I still didn't get it.

"This." His finger reached for the side of my waist, poking it once, and it was enough for my body to react hysterically. I was an overly ticklish person and he hit the spot – Um, that sounded wrong. Okay, well, it really was a weak spot of mine.

And by reacting hysterically, I meant nearly losing my balance. I was that ticklish, it was crazy.

"Hey!" I protested lightheartedly, now guarding my side with my hands.

Now Jon was laughing, and I could be sucked into that hole in his left cheek. _Dang it, you distracting dimple. _

I couldn't believe it. Jon and I were playing around.

"How did you know that?"

"Psychic powers." He played psycho. I narrowed my eyes at him. He laughed again.

"Come on," he said between the last few drops of laughter as we proceeded down the stairs.

It occurred to me that he still hadn't shown any sign that he remembered our conversation last night. It itched me. I was afraid to broach the subject, but realizing how comfortable we were with each other at this point, I figured I'd risk it.

Yeap, I was taking risks now. _Thank you, Glenn._

"So," I said while we walked down the steps, "slept well last night?" There. I just did it. I asked that same question again. I dropped my weapon. Once again, I was a frying pan and I'd tossed the pancake into the air, now waiting for it to drop and land properly.

Jon stopped pacing.

At this point, all the imaginary fingers in my head were crossed. The silence was overwhelming. I was nervous. _Oh gosh. Oh gosh. _But there was no escaping no more.

Without looking at me, he answered, "Yeah." – Yeap, heard that before. And last time I checked, the follow-up statement to that almost sent me to insanity. "Drank a little too much," Jon added. Well that was different from the one I'd heard before.

"Oh," was my initial reaction.

_Really? Really? No 'went straight to bed after the show, got really exhausted' statement? WOW._

I licked my lips and rubbed the back of my neck. "Did you get _stone drunk_?" I thought some kind of entity possessed me for a second right there. Even I was surprised to hear myself spew those words.

"Nope." His voice was calm. He still didn't look at me. And we were still right where we stopped.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. "So… you're not having some amnesia now?" _Stop it Jill! Stop it! _I hated the regret I felt right after the words were out.

"Oh no, ma'am." His response came quick and sure.

"Really?" I pressed. _What the heck, Jill? What are you thinking?_

He glanced at me over his shoulder. "Ofcourse, _sweetcheeks_."

_BOOM BABY! _My head was violent with raucous voices in it. I smiled at him, and he was smiling at me. When I couldn't contain it anymore, I looked away and down, the sheepish smile not leaving my face.

Was this even real? I felt like it either was a dream, or I had to do a double-take at Jon and check if he wasn't drunk again. But he really was sober this time. And he remembered. Or he didn't pretend to forget about last night. Holy smokes.

_Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh! _Freaking screw my brain, it was too loud and couldn't even keep it down.

"Very nice," I commented.

"Yeah."

We continued back down the stairs until we reached the barricade that separated the lower box and the patron section.

"This is how I plan to hop over the barricade in our entrance." He ran to the barrier as one of his hands held onto it for support while he lifted his legs over the barricade, sending him to the other side now.

"Cool," I praised. "I want to try that, too."

"No, don't. This one's a little higher than that one." He pointed to the barricade at ringside.

I paused, considering the difference. He was right. But he did it so perfectly I wanted to give it a try.

"Yeah, well…" I pursed my lips. "I'm not gonna do your version, I'll do my own version of it, watch." I was stubborn. And before Jon could stop me, I was standing on top of the barricade. I looked down and took notice of how high the barrier was, like Jon said.

"Hey, don't!" Despite his protest, I laughed mischievously, ignoring Jon.

I was ready to jump when he held that index finger up again. _Uh-oh. _His eyes playfully warned me.

"Don't jump, Jill." He wagged his finger. "Don't jump, and get down properly." Man, he was confident.

"Not fair," I protested, still standing on top of the barricade. "Keep that finger away."

"Are you gonna get down, or I'm going to drill this finger to your ribs until you cry from laughing so hard?"

I pulled a scowl. "Fine," I muttered, hearing defeat in my voice.

He softly chuckled. "Come here," Jon said gently, extending his hand. _Oh, wait, what? _

I was unable to think intelligently, and I thought it showed when I kept staring at him, puzzled.

He chuckled. "Hold my hand so you'll land on your feet just fine, sweet cheeks."

I pressed my lips together before I reached out for his hand. _This is definitely a lot more fun than pulling off my own version of a kickass barricade entrance, _I thought to myself. And when I placed my small hand in his, I did not feel bad anymore about him stopping me to jump off the barricade moments ago.

His hand was big, but not as gigantic as Joe's. It was rough and felt so manly. When his grip closed around my hand, my body was charged with electricity.

Even as I landed on my feet already, the grip wasn't broken. If I were to choose, I certainly wouldn't let go of his hand.

Sadly, our hands involuntarily detached themselves from one another after a few moments.

Ugh. Sadly? Screw it. Sadness didn't even have a space in my life at this very point! I was very happy with Jon's acknowledgement of last night's happenings, I just had him tickle me, I had just held his hand, and he could call me _sweet cheeks _while he was completely sober. Who knew? I was on cloud nine.

Seriously? This night was a blast. This time, the pancake got a really good landing onto the frying pan.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, you. Yeap. Thank you freaking very much for reading this chapter. I freaking very much appreciate it. **

**Question: How many of you expected Jon to 'pretend to have amnesia' again in this chapter? Or did most of you see this coming? ;P**

**Let me know what you think of this whole chapter. Reviews are very much appreciated. I love them. They're addictive. It's madsick to the bones!**

**P.S. - LadyEvil21, once again, I thank you for giving me 'direction'. HAHAHAHA I sound too corny, don't I? Yes, I guess I could call you my 'mentor' now. Hahahahaha. *sings* _You... light up my life... You give me hope... to carry on... _**

**THANK YOU THANK YOU EVERYONE! ;"3**


	15. Chapter 15

Saturday, we flew to Orlando, Florida for another RAW on Monday. Cody was extremely happy about it, because he got to see his long-time girlfriend, Sarah, who lived in Orlando.

It was an unsuspecting Sunday afternoon at the coffee shop in the building where we would do Monday Night RAW. For a couple years, it was usually me, Cody, and Sarah each time we did a show in Florida, and yes, I was always the third wheel. But now, I was with Cody, Sarah, D-Bry, and Brie. Lately, Brie and D-Bry had been quite pretty close to each other and ofcourse Cody and I couldn't be oblivious of the fact that something special was developing between them.

Technically, I was at a coffee shop with two pairs of lovebirds. _Right, fifth wheel me. _

We sat at a four-person table which came out a little offensive on my part. I practically had to take an empty chair from another table to make myself feel welcome and invited in this little dating game. Not that I was deeply annoyed by it. But you get the point.

I was having a cinnamon roll and caramel frappuccino and I couldn't help but notice the change in Sarah's look. "You really look amazing, Sarah," I complimented genuinely. "The haircut's good!"

Sarah tucked a few strands of her golden hair behind her ear before giving me a sweet smile. "Thank you, change is good." Her green eyes glimmered. Sarah was a very modest, beautiful, and kindhearted woman. I adored her with all my heart. If I was a guy, I'd totally strive to win her heart, and I wouldn't care that Cody was my bestfriend.

"Heard that, Cody? _Change _is good. Get rid of the 'stache." D-Bry laughed, and Brie shook her head while she softly giggled at D-Bry's remark.

"I could say the same thing to you," Cody retorted mockingly.

"Brie, with or without beard?" I asked simply, giving her an impish grin. D-Bry was looking at her, his expression unreadable, but was eager for her answer.

She paused for a moment. She was really pretty, her and Nikki. Freaking goddesses on Earth! Brie's pink lips curved into a smile. "I don't really mind," she said, before giving D-Bry a syrupy smile. Goat face seemed to appreciate that, and his arm slowly moved to wrap around Brie. In addition to that, I saw Cody's fingers smoothly intertwine with Sarah's on the table.

Oh. Love birds. I wondered if it sometimes crossed these four's minds how awkward it was for the single person that they were with while they did all the sweet stuff. But I wouldn't be complaining, after all, they were just people in love. And while they stayed love birds, I didn't know what to do. Maybe I should just nip on this wooden table we sat at. Yeap, that would be great: The love birds and the wood pecker.

Amidst my thoughts, I saw AJ and Colby walk in the coffee shop together. _Oops. Seventh wheel alert. _They spotted us and walked straight towards our table.

I forked the last chunk of my cinnamon roll and stuffed it into my mouth.

"Jill, there's some cool entertainment center-like thing up on the third floor!" AJ excitedly said, her chocolate brown eyes beaming with enthusiasm.

"What's that?" I asked in between chews, looking up at her before taking the last sip from my frap.

"Arcades!" She almost violently shook my shoulders. Upon hearing her single-word revelation, I nearly spat my drink in her face.

I elected to gulp the frap in my mouth immediately before speaking. "What the heck!" I bellowed as I stood from my seat. "We're nailing that, come on!"

Cody and company looked at AJ and I like we were psychos. But then again, AJ was the crazy chick. And I was… Miss Insanity.

But Cody couldn't be more excited just as well. "Hey! I wanna see that!" He abruptly stood and hurriedly finished his drink. "Come on guys, let's go check that out!" He energetically said to D-Bry, Sarah, and Brie. The three shrugged, and could only laugh.

"Is it already crowded in there? Man I want to have that area soloed!" I was impatient.

"Not yet, don't worry. It's only Joe and Kaitlyn in there as of the moment," Colby informed.

_Joe and Katie? What? Another pair of lovebirds? _

We all exited the coffee shop and proceeded to the entertainment center.

* * *

When we walked in the so-proclaimed 'entertainment center' in that building, I was overwhelmed. My mind was in a trance; my heart was beating for it. It was like The Avengers' lab or something, it was fantastic. I couldn't be more delighted.

I was in my seat, deeply engrossed into the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3's arcade machine, voraciously tapping on the buttons as my boy Ghost Rider devoured Nemesis – D-Bry's guy. _Ha! _I'd just previously beaten Cody's butt again, and so goat face elected to take his place and neither could he get the job done.

Cody's behind = Kicked. D-Bry's behind = Kicked. Ownage.

I jumped from my seat and went to the other side of the machine where D-Bry and Cody stood, the delicious look of disappointment on their faces greeting my victory.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" I raised my arms nonstop, as I flaunted a smug look in their faces.

They were silently looking at me, the expression on their faces now a bit unsmiling, until Cody whispered something to D-Bry and they broke out laughing as though to mock me. My forehead furrowed and I looked at them askance.

"It's okay, Jill. We feel for you." I sensed the staged somber tone in D-Bry's voice, and his uncontrollable chuckling was just proof that these two were up to something. I couldn't pinpoint it.

I just kept a quizzical gaze on them.

"Jill," Cody spoke as the last tittering saliva beads channeled his mouth, "you're just bitter that you get to be, what, third – fifth – oh no, seventh wheel? Did I get my math right?" He playfully elbowed D-Bry. And they kept sneering.

_Dude? Like? _A group of cells were charging in my body and my brain couldn't decide if I was about to burst out laughing or yell at them for sounding plain stupid. Eventually, a huge cackle escaped my lips.

"What the heck did you just say?" I laughed in disbelief.

"Well? Won't you admit that?" D-Bry pressed, folding his arms across his chest.

"Come on, Jill!" Cody seconded mockery.

My mouth ajar, I looked at them stunned, my hands lifted at shoulder level, palms open. These guys were unbelievable. "You guys are weird." While I wouldn't admit to them about the odd-number-wheel-part, I would admit that I wasn't able to find a better retort at them other than calling them weird.

"Woooooohhhhhhh!" Two massively brawny but feminine arms wrapped around my waist and lifted my feet off the ground, swaying me into the air. When I was on my feet again, Kaitlyn was smiling at me like a maniac.

"This place is rocking, right?" Her eyes roamed all over the majestic place.

"Yeah, very." I straightened my hair. "And that man is rocking your world as of late, I assume." I looked past her to glance at Joe, who stood a few feet from us. She whirled around shortly to meet his gaze, and then back at me.

"He amuses me," Kaitlyn said in a whisper but her lethal grip around my arm informed me about her true emotions – she was actually thrilled the way a teenage girl would be when she's infatuated with someone. I just laughed.

I stepped a little past Kaitlyn and up to Joe. Knowing I had to tell him something, he bent over so I could say it in his ear, "Call her _Celeste_, she likes it." Despite the wary look he gave me, he was smiling, agreeing to what I told him.

When I giggled once more, Kaitlyn approached us abruptly. "What was that?" Katie said to Joe.

"What's up, _Celeste_?" Joe said simply with a smirk.

Kaitlyn's eyes slowly widened. "Oh my God, Jill! I'll crush you!" She hated being called by her birth name. Joe and I started laughing and Kaitlyn couldn't help but join. "I hate you." She softly smacked Joe's chest, her smile seemingly enticing him. I watched Joe's hand slowly connect with Kaitlyn's on his chest, and now they were in some sort of gaze-lock as though their world had just freakin' stopped.

As though I wasn't there in front of them. I mentally sighed.

My head turned, and examining the place, I saw AJ and Colby at some shooter arcade machine, celebrating. It looked like they'd just won a fight against the zombies, because AJ was clearly dangling in Colby's arms. Sheer joy. For the second time, I mentally sighed.

I elected to go back to where D-Bry and Cody were, but when I did, greeting my eyes were tender cheek-smooching sessions, courtesy of Cody and Sarah, and D-Bry and Brie. Sarah and Brie were each holding a cute stuffed bear, obviously a prize from the claw machine. Both men gave the lovely ladies some syrupy kisses on their cheeks.

It felt awkward to kind of walk in on that scene. _I shouldn't be here, _my head ridiculously said. When their girls weren't looking, the combined forces of _the beard_ and _the 'stache_ managed to mock me by sticking their tongues out at me. They held up nine fingers before mouthing the words, "Ninth wheel".

"I will freakin' kill you both," I whispered in the air. They just laughed.

* * *

Several minutes passed, and the coolest place in the building started to be filled with other Superstars.

"Dang it," I muttered in frustration, lightly smacking my hand against the claw crane machine. I failed to scoop up that stuffed minion. "Why can't you be mine?" I squashed my palms and face against the glass. I loved the minions with a passion. They were the best looking yellow earthlings ever.

"Ooh. Easy, kid," a voice behind me said. I turned. It was Colby. "Not so fun?"

"Oh, no. No. I actually feel in heaven here." I smiled. We walked toward the arcade machines. "How about you? You're having a blast, it seems."

"Oh, totally," he said simply.

I decided to play a little. "You know what," I said, "the first time I saw you, I knew right then that you were the type to dig crazy chicks." I smirked.

"Shut up." Colby laughed shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. _Gotcha. _

"Keep it up, man." I winked before taking my seat at the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 arcade machine.

"You dig the same crazy type," Colby retorted. I didn't acknowledge it too much but in my head, I pondered on it. I quickly dismissed it and focused on the screen instead. "Later," he said.

"You keep her cool," I joked once more. He shook his head before walking off.

My awesome tagteam of Jin Kazama and Kazuya Mishima was relentless in battering various opponents. I was already in my eighth round when the screaming text "Challenge Accepted" flashed on my screen. Somebody had taken on second player.

_Cody won't give up, huh, _I thought as I exactly pictured in my mind how Cody arrogantly took the seat from the other side of the machine. I didn't check the opposite side anymore to see it was him. The moment Bryan Fury and Prototype Jack appeared on the second player's side of the screen, I knew it was Cody.

As usual, I was all spunky and the smug look on my face wouldn't wear off. First round, I kicked his butt. Second round, I sucked. Well, he just got lucky.

And then it was the final round.

"Your butt's going down, 'Stachio." I loved badmouthing Cody when playing against one another.

Combo after combo. Counter after counter. My hands pounded on the buttons with adrenaline-fueled passion that I could only excrete at the most intense video gaming moments of my life. Suddenly, I realized how different Cody's techniques were. _Why is he so strong all of a sudden? _He wasn't usually like that. I was just one semi-super kick away from finishing his life. And normally, I would've ended his life sooner but here he was, still alive and fighting.

"I see that you've practiced well, Cody!" I shouted over the machine with swagger. "You're not such a loser now huh?" I had my hands pugnacious all over the buttons, determined to win.

"Excuse me?" Cody retorted, but I realized his voice came from behind me. I froze. I lost focus on the game and I turned my head.

Cody was right behind me. He arched a brow. So many thoughts mauled my brain, and that freaking distinct cry of defeat from Jin Kazama was enough to snap me into reality. With the distraction and everything, I realized I'd just lost the battle. "You lose," the screen before my eyes told me.

I couldn't believe I had to eat defeat!

_What the flying freak? It wasn't Cody! No wonder why he was so good! Who is – oh, D-Bry? I just freaking lost! Who are you?_ With narrowed eyes, I walked over to the other side of the machine.

My heart nearly dropped.

Jon.

"I'm impressed," were his first words to me that afternoon.

I couldn't really describe how I replied, but I was sure I kept stuttering until I stammered something into saying quite the same thing to him. Just then, Cody's hand grabbed my shoulder. "Looks like the solution to your ninth wheel problems has just arrived," he whispered laughingly.

I brushed his hand off my shoulder. "Shut up." When I glared at him, he immediately left.

"Hi," I said to Jon once I'd regained composure. "I'm kinda… uh, surprised?"

Why I couldn't seem to keep my eyes off that body-fit yellow v-neck shirt that hugged his torso well, I didn't know. He looked so…darn…

"I felt challenged." His blue eyes said _hello _to me. "I know you're one of the gamers." He smiled as he stood up. I returned his smile.

"You kicked my butt, though."

He shrugged. "And you're still cute, impressive."

_Dear Lord, help me. _My teeth dug into my tongue behind my closed lips. At that moment I wanted to be sure that he wasn't drunk or anything. His words. Dang it. I was sure a red tint had just started to stain my cheeks, which I prayed wouldn't be too obvious.

"Ha-ha," I laughed dryly, completely unsure of how to take his statement. "Do you like bananas?" The words escaped through bubbles of panicky saliva beads in my mouth.

_What the heck are you just talking about, Jill?_

After realizing what I'd just said, I started to think about how long this thing that he did to me would go. I couldn't keep getting pipe bomb small praises from Jon and be out of my mind so easily all the time. I had to learn a technique to maintain my equanimity.

"What?" He actually chuckled. I looked up at him and I could be lost in that dimply smile that reached his eyes.

I licked my lips with slight tension. "Um, where are the others?" I diverted the subject quickly.

"Scattered all over," Jon said. I nodded in understanding, though still feeling a bit uneasy inside. "Everyone seems to enjoy this place," he added.

"Oh, totally," I agreed and continued, "I'm sure a lot will have a hard time trying to leave this place for another city."

"Especially you." He smiled.

"Totally." I chuckled.

"What's that?" He pointed under my face and to my chest.

My eyes trailed his finger and I was now looking down. When I saw nothing abnormal, I wondered. "What – " I trailed off as his fingers went to press my nose.

I looked at him, dumbfounded. Jon's eyes pretended to wander innocently, before he let out a heartwarming chuckle.

_Goodness. What are you just doing, Jonathan?_

"What did you just…" I couldn't even supply the proper word to complete my sentence. I ended up giving into a genuine laughter.

My own actions surprised me when I elected to lightly poke him in his stomach.

"Oh. Careful," he warned, but was still smiling. "I can make you cry from laughing so hard, remember?" He held up his forefinger, reminding me that he knew my weak spot.

"Yikes." I faked being a scaredy-cat. We shared laughter once more. It was heartening.

* * *

**A/N: Two things - One: Sorry for the wait again. You know, school stuff. Two: Sorry, this one was kinda rushed. And there was just very little Jon-Jill moment here... I promise to do better in the next chapter.**

**Thank you people, ever so much, for spending time reading this. I will appreciate your reviews. I love getting to know what everyone has to say. Do let me know what you think of this one! God bless you all! ;)**


	16. Chapter 16

RAW had started great, and it maintained the awesome vibe throughout the matches and segments that followed.

The Shield were going to do a promo tonight. Honestly, it was the number one thing I'd been looking forward to in the entire show. I was just as excited as Jon, Colby, and Joe were. They were going to cut a promo in the middle of the ring; I couldn't explain how awesome it felt for me who was actually a fan of them, to see them getting some mic time – JUSTICE! More importantly, I'd get to see Jon flood the arena with awesomeness again like he usually did on TV – Double JUSTICE!

Just for fun, Cody and I decided to stay in the area behind the curtains that led to their entrance route - the ones that led to the upper box section.

"We'll be watching from here," Cody said to Jon, Colby, and Joe as we stood in front of the flat panel TV which was mounted up at the wall. The three were in their black clothing, preparing themselves.

"Oh, the pressure!" Colby exclaimed while he ponytailed his two-toned hair real tight. Joe, who was usually calm and silent, was now pacing back and forth like some husband worrying about his wife who's in labor. And Jon, despite the fact that they wouldn't go out there to compete tonight, did what seemed like his routine before every match – he did a few push-ups.

"Best of luck, be awesome!" I cheered for all three of them moments before their entrance music hit.

Jon's character on-screen was very much the type that I would consider my hero if I was still just an ordinary wrestling fan who kept my eyes on TV whenever WWE's on it. Dean Ambrose was villainy, grungy, wicked, and just unpredictable. Each time he held that microphone in his hands and started talking, his presence had always overwhelmed the arena – it was like he almost owned the whole place!

I was just staring at the screen while he, along with Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns, kept expressing their hostile intentions toward the WWE universe. The crowd went nuts, Cody and I could hear it both from the TV and from the curtains. The flesh at the back of my neck crawled at their magnificence, all my hairs stood. They were sheer gold. I took pleasure in every single second of it.

"Greatness," Cody muttered in what I assumed was extreme amazement. I looked up at him and he wasn't even looking at me – his eyes were fixed rigid on the monitor.

"Believe in The Shield!" I watched Joe, well Roman this time, growl as he threw the microphone and their badass music hit.

I found myself clapping relentlessly and pumping my fist nonstop, unable to hide how amazed I was by the three goons. I definitely was a Shield-believer. And judging by the way Cody was reacting to their promo, I could tell that he believed in The Shield too.

I reveled in the sight of them even as they now made their way back through the crowd and up the stairs. Excitement never really left my body as we waited for them behind the curtains.

It wasn't any longer that Joe finally stepped through the curtain, the look of antagonism now beginning to fade from his face.

"All right man!" Cody excitedly ran to give Joe a big hug. Joe accepted it, his expression saying something like _whew! _

Colby came back in next, his face still seemed to have a little touch of staged aggression.

"You guys did great!" Cody hugged Colby next, clapping his back cheerfully.

"Holy shit, I almost buckled few words," Colby said, running a hand on his forehead.

"Are you kidding me? We didn't even notice! You guys were awesome out there!" I praised intensely.

Soon, Jon joined us all in the back. Unlike Joe and Colby who had quite easily disposed of their evil personas once they stepped through the curtains, Jon's face was by no means good-natured when he walked in.

I was just thinking of how deep Jon could stay in character that it was quite really hard for him to completely buzz off the Dean Ambrose mode, when I suddenly noticed a fresh, long gash of red on his left forearm. While nobody else seemed to be aware, the cheery grin on my face quickly vanished, and I thought maybe that wound was the reason behind the unfriendly expression on his face.

I was guessing something bad had just happened right when they were walking back through the crowd.

While Cody kept the other two entertained, all I could focus on now was Jon.

Was it another fan-attack?

Then, _it _happened. The horror took place right before us.

It all happened so fast, but in my own little world it was like moving in slow-mo – like how things usually move when we're watching a match between Mark Henry and The Big Show.

Very abruptly, a long-haired blond man jumped at Jon's back. And despite the lean and scrawny limbs of him that wrapped all over Jon, the mystery man was able to strangle him just a little, making Jon lose his balance.

It petrified me. "Jon!" I bellowed, my voice cracking a little. I wanted to do something, but I didn't know what to do. I was not able to budge muscle. I just stood there, stock-still, too shocked to absorb my surroundings.

Cody, Joe, and Colby were alarmed by my voice and turned their heads, finally becoming aware of what was going on. But even the three of them were perhaps too taken aback by the scene that the right thing they were supposed to do seemingly failed to register in their brains at first.

The sound of both men's growling clouded my ears. Jon looked like he was trying to get rid of the mystery man wrapped around him like a leech. It was all happening so fast, but again my eyes saw everything in slow motion. They rolled over and over, and even when Jon was already on his feet, the freaking leech wouldn't let go. I believed no one had an idea who the attacker was. All that ever registered in my head was that his hair was long and blond, and he was skinny as fudge. So he looked like Thor because of his hair, but he was undernourished so he was like thorn.

Nothing could still set me off completely, until I saw Mighty Thorn draw out a knife from his hand.

I'd never felt my blood pump louder. Panic, dread, and adrenaline triggered me.

"Nooooo!" I cried.

I heard Jon groan, and I watched him use his strength to dash backwards, using the hard wall as a weapon as he ground the attacker against it. After the wall-smash, the attacker set loose and Jon was finally able to break free. But another cut showed on the same forearm, fresh and bright.

I scurried towards Jon and the other guy's direction without hesitation, only to be stopped by Cody's arms around my waist, holding me back.

I realized that they had finally moved, and while Cody held me back Colby and Joe went to Jon's rescue. A couple of security had also now arrived to keep the two away from one another. While the officials restrained the attacker by the arms, he spewed out some words at Jon.

"You bastard! Stay away from Brenda!" The wicked man howled; his voice was harsh and bristly.

"We're through, what the fuck do you want?" Jon yelled and I could see the anger flashing in his blue eyes. It scared me. Colby and Joe kept hold of him.

It wasn't any longer that I was able to put two and two together. It turned out, that this Brenda they were arguing about was Jon's ex-girlfriend. And Mighty Thorn was some pathetic retard, obviously madly in love with Brenda, who was sticking up his nose in this whole _artificial _problem that only existed in the idiot's mind. _Jon said they're through, all right?! _

"Get the fuck out of her damn head!" The anorexic felon screamed at the top of his lungs, kicking his legs out as the security held him like he was a blithering psychopath.

I mentally scratched my subconscious' head. _How the heck do you just get out of someone's head? It's not his fault she can't get over him! _

"I will _fucking _kill you, Good!" The malnourished freak threatened, his nasty eyes I wanted to scratch out. "I swear I am going to fucking – "

Unfortunately, Colby and Joe were somehow not enough to keep Jon under control, and he leapt his way to Mighty Thorn, shutting him up with such gory punches. The poor idiot bled from the mouth profusely, I almost pitied him, and I would have actually helped him had I not remembered how he tried to kill Jon with that knife. He deserved it.

Jon was ravenous. I didn't know what to yell or do. It scared me.

Finally, more officials stepped into the scene and managed to keep the two off each other.

Security had escorted the man out of that floor and hopefully he was now being held captive in some cage that Vince McMahon had creatively designed. The atmosphere embraced us with loud silence, until I could only hear Colby and Joe murmuring anything that would calm down Jon, who was now sweaty, panting, and evil-eyed with two streams of blood trickling down his left forearm. He wouldn't look at anyone but the blankness that seemed to put him in a dark trance.

My heart beat loud, fast, and hard through my chest. I realized that Cody was still holding me.

Like I didn't know any better, I wriggled out of Cody's arms and ran towards Jon.

"Jon," I said in an unrecognizable voice as soon as I neared the three. In my mind, it was all I could focus on. I was just freakin' worried.

No response. I interpreted his expression as impassive. The tension started to sink in to me, but I pushed it aside and thought maybe I should just push a little more and I'd get him out of the black spell he was in – where he just wanted to tear someone's flesh apart.

"Jon." With killer uncertainty, I slowly lifted my hand to touch his arm, delicately clasping around the part just above his elbow so I could avoid the bloody lesions of it. "Jon, it's going to be all – "

Jon brusquely disconnected his arm from my grasp. That was when I noticed the undying fury burning in his eyes. And then the tension had sunk fully into me, and I wish I knew better.

Two medics came sprinting towards our direction. Just then, Joe tried to break the tension by speaking. "Come on man, let's get that tended." He led Jon as the two medics walked in tow.

When the four of them couldn't be seen anymore, Colby attempted to provide solace.

"He's just out of his mind," he said with a reassuring smile, patting my head lightly.

Cody wrapped an arm around me and began rubbing my shoulder.

I just stood there, emotionless. I was actually silently pondering on how stupid I was.

* * *

"I'll just get something from the locker room." Colby stood from his seat and walked out the clinic doors.

Cody and I were in the clinic. After what happened, D-Bry had come to catch up and we were just filling him in while Joe stayed in the cubicle where Jon was having his wounds tended.

After a few moments, Joe stepped out of the cubicle and walked to us. I looked at him with an expression that was almost asking him if it was okay to talk to Jon already. Joe smiled comfortingly at me as if to say yes. I felt an ounce of ease and smiled a tad before leaving the three guys alone and walking to where Jon was.

Despite my heavy breathing and my heart's intense beating, I had already stepped through the curtains of the cubicle before I even knew it. When my eyes met Jon's, I was dead anxious, completely clueless of what to say. I didn't know if he was still angry, but I hated feeling the familiar coldness again. My gaze dropped on his newly gauzed forearm.

I fought the tension surrounding us. I didn't want this to turn out bad. I didn't want to add more fuel to the fire.

"Who was that and what did he want?"

Fought the tension huh? Didn't want the whole thing to turn out bad? Didn't want to fuel up the flames?

Yeap, it was true.

Except I failed to think of a good start for this conversation. Epic fail. _Stupid! Ugh! Now things are about to be great. _I mentally face-palmed.

But I couldn't help but be in panic! Maybe I had wanted for better results so bad, that I actually made a wrong move because of over-analyzing things. I couldn't believe I'd just asked him that, but I couldn't take them back. I was so freaking stupid.

His eyes bore holes into mine and I turned to ice. When he didn't say anything, I tried to save the conversation and my butt before it was too late.

"He's a helpless idiot, definitely not worthy of your time," I said genuinely in an effort to let him know that I was _so_ on his side, that I disliked that he had to go through that vigorous fight earlier, and to perhaps make him feel a little better.

In my mind and heart, I knew it was a positive statement. In my mind and heart, I knew I just wanted to have a smooth and helpful talk with Jon. In my mind and heart, I knew I'd said the most harmless, inoffensive, and risk-free words.

But perhaps Jon had different interpretations.

"If you're telling me it was brainless for me to tussle that prick, then I'm sorry I wasn't the man you thought to be." His voice shot through my ears and heart like someone just threw a bucket of ice on me. His stare remained cold. I'd no other choice but to freeze.

_What? Wait, no! That's not what I meant! _I couldn't believe this was all turning out worse than I'd expected. Did I say the wrong thing? Or did I just have a poor choice of words? I semi-hated my life right then and there.

"No, I mean to say that – "

"I don't have time to hear out a sermon from you. You don't know anything." Jon's voice was cold and low, the unkindness and aloofness well-pronounced in his tone.

I looked at him in disbelief. My eyes begged for his understanding, but he didn't return my gaze. The vibe of indifference had become so overwhelming that I had to just walk out. I couldn't handle it.

I felt tremendously sad, and mad, and just furious inside. I didn't have the capability to absorb the treatment Jon had just given me. The back of my neck felt really hot. I was so displeased. _You don't know anything_. His words echoed in my head. So far, it had been his harshest statement to me, and it pained me. After being close to one another and keeping some things open between the two of us, he was going to tell me I didn't know anything? It sliced through my heart.

As I stepped into view of Cody, D-Bry, and Joe, I knew that they'd assumed what happened inside the cubicle with Jon. I didn't exactly know how my face looked, but when I looked at Cody and D-Bry, I just somehow detected that they detected what I'd been feeling, and that they were able to decode the previous events that had transpired.

But I was deeply hurt. I couldn't believe Jon… I couldn't believe what he said to me, let alone how he talked to me. It felt like I was talking to someone I didn't know. He didn't seem to be that guy who had just been tickling me the other night. Tonight he was cold and aloof. Again. He was angry.

And there was no other man to blame…

My insides had coiled and my glands produced all fluids that boiled up into one massive fury. I wanted to annihilate someone till he forgot to breathe and just die instantly. I had so much rage now. And I knew exactly who the prey of my delicious fury would be. And I was ready to take it all out on him.

"Do you have an idea where that attacker is?" I didn't recognize my voice, once again.

The three men looked at me askance.

"I believe he's with Vince and the management in a room now," Joe finally answered after a few moments of silence.

"Where's that?" I was impatient.

"Third door on the right along this hall," Joe answered, not getting rid of the doubtful expression.

No more questions asked. I stormed out the clinic and went to where I badly desired to be. I heard the boys yell my name, telling me to come back. Ofcourse it was no use.

I kicked the door open and saw who I badly wanted to see.

I knew that Vince, Stephanie, Paul, and many other executives were around, but all I could focus on was _this man_. This man – who now had a swollen lip and puffed up eye, a black figure encircling it.

I smiled at him.

The mess on his face was so bad, I pitied him.

Very slowly, I trudged towards him. From his seat, he looked up at me with extremely clueless and curious eyes, I assumed.

My expression changed into a serious and somber one. "Poor you," I sympathized.

And then, I let my impatient hand fly across his pathetic face.

There. I'd just slapped Mighty Thorn. "Screw your life, you pathetic-coward-punk, boner-biting-bee-yotch!"

Even at my most outraged state, I still couldn't say a cuss word properly.

After delivering my badass line, I turned to prepare for my dramatic exit but I saw Joe, Colby, and Cody standing by the door, all with the most dumbfounded expressions. I looked around and saw that everyone seemed to be flabbergasted just as well.

It took one look at the people around me that time for me to realize what I'd done. And while I did think that my actions would generate some bad karma in the future, I felt satisfied, knowing that Mighty Thorn had gotten what he deserved.

Out of the mixture of the hurt and fury that welled up inside me because of how my discourse with Jon went, I'd just slapped Mighty Thorn in front of the people I worked with and for.

My life was about to change.

* * *

**A/N: Can I get an honest reaction from you guys on this chaper? :) What are your thoughts? ;p**

**I wholeheartedly thank every single person who takes the time to read this story. I love all of you.**


	17. Chapter 17

At 10:15 AM on a Wednesday, I woke up in my bed at Cleveland. But I didn't realize it at first and decided to go pack my things to fly to another state for a show. I sat up, and through bleary sight I took in my surroundings. There was nothing to pack. I was in my room.

As my eyes surveyed my environment, I suddenly remembered that I was sent back home by the management.

_By the way, Jill… you're home. _

I yawned and stretched my back and arms and suddenly, memories were popular in my head again.

This past Monday night, after I'd slapped the heck out of Mighty Thorn's face I thought my life was going to change. And it _kinda _did. The events of that Monday night were just overwhelming. Colby had gone to tell us about Jon's state. According to him, Jon was given a supposed two-week suspension-like thing after rocking the entire WWE backstage world with that bloody fight against the boner-biting scrawny imbecile.

Ofcourse majority had strongly disagreed with Paul and the McMahons' decision. After all, what Jon did was purely self-defense. He didn't throw the first punch, and to make matters worse it was actually Mighty Thorn who kicked off that fight, even using a weapon against Jon. Colby said that Vince understood this fully, and that the two-week thing was not to punish Jon. It was more like a _break_ for him, so they said. Their take was, the incident happened for the second time on a live show and they couldn't tolerate having to deal with the same incidents that could possibly happen in the future. What they were doing, was that they were _cooling things down _by kind of lessening TV time for Jon just for the time being, so as to hopefully avoid another mess. Colby told us that this got Jon real upset, but it seemed like the only thing to do. No one in the office wanted to risk another RAW or Smackdown show and have another fan attack him again, so it was best that he stayed off from TV for two good weeks.

And ofcourse there was me. While they gave Jon what seemed like a _well-needed break_, what I got from Paul, Stephanie, and Vince was actually a suspension. And I completely understood why. I had no business with Mighty Thorn whatsoever and I just let my emotions take over me and barged in that room to slap him and satisfy my anger. I had been stupid, I knew that. But I wish I knew better. So, I got the same two-week hiatus like Jon. He left Tuesday morning, I left later that night.

I sighed. I'd never gotten a suspension in my entire career. And more importantly, I still was upset with Jon.

I rolled out of bed and went to the bathroom for a shower. I emerged back already in my comfy shorts and shirt. When I pulled my door open, the luscious whiff of bacon led me outside my room. Breakfast aroma.

"All right, she's up!" I heard the voice of my younger brother BJ call. I walked to the kitchen and saw him taking over the stove preparing food, his shaggy dark brown hair still grooving as ever.

"That smells really delish, Beej," I said as I stood beside our dining table. "Are the other three here?" I asked about our three other younger brothers.

"Present!" I turned to see Miguel, our youngest brother. He was 18 and we shared this bond I'd always treasured. But then again, I'd always shared a special kind of bond with each of my four little brothers.

He excitedly hugged me and lifted me off my feet. "I've missed you, little boy," I said as we pulled away, and I reached up to sweep off his long dark bangs that were brushed forward.

Nickolas materialized in the dining area. "Well you went straight to bed last night, not a hello or tee-hee from you." I had to laugh. Nickolas was the fourth child, the one before Miguel. He had the lightest shade of brown eyes among all of us, a strong jawline, had the perfect tan, and had started to shape his body, too.

"Oh, sorry. Come here." I pulled him in for a hug.

"Whoa, hey! Careful!" Nick exclaimed when I very lightly ran a hand through his hair – it was a short shag cut with _heavy texturizing _crap, the front sticking up a little, and was newly dyed champagne blond. Needless to say, Nick was the vain one among the four boys.

"What's happening in the world?" That rather annoying yet funny voice resounded in the dining area. It belonged to Travis, the one who came next to BJ and before Nickolas.

"The new color rocks, b-t-w," I complimented with a raised brow, referring to his new hair color. Travis was the middle-child and was considered to be the chaotic, bold, and adventurous one among the four boys, and he had a hobby of pulling off almost all kinds of hair styles and colors. Now, it was straight and shoulder-length which was dyed auburn on the left side and blue on the other. He kind of reminded me of Colby.

"Ofcourse," Travis said with a smug look, the septum piercing in his nose glimmering along. I saw Nick roll his eyes. I shook my head.

Very soon, BJ joined us all. "All right, let's eat!"

Here I was, standing next to my little brothers that I'd missed like crazy. They were still my little brothers, and I would always dismiss the fact that they'd all grown taller. Yes, I was envious but if anything, I was thankful that the boys got my father's height. Miggy was now 5 foot 8, and the rest were 5 foot 10.

It was good to be home.

* * *

Later that night, I was chilling on the bed with all four of my brothers, just catching up. I was having a good time; they could take stress away so easily.

"I feel a little more squeezed now than before, you guys are really uncontrollably growing bigger and bigger," I said with a chuckle before adjusting my tiny self in Miggy's arms as we lay there. "So how's everyone been?"

"Here, still pretty." Nick's narcissistic ego loudly flaunted as he lounged on the bed at our feet.

"Booooooooo," Travis scorned at Nick as he rested his head on my ribs.

Miguel, BJ, and I laughed. "Oh shut up, Trav." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Gay," Travis snorted.

"Beej, did you call mom, yet?" I asked BJ, who was lying next to Miguel.

There was a pause. "No," he finally answered.

"Bryce Jared, how many times – " I trailed off.

"I know, I know, I'm just looking for the right timing and all. I will talk to her when I'm ready, Jill."

"You really should, _Bryce Jared_," I told him with a little seriousness in my tone. But I decided that I was staying here for a short time, and I shouldn't be broaching the subject of my parents. After their divorce a few months back, it was never easy for my brothers and even I had to admit that I was having a hard time coping up. But my little boys were my source of strength.

"Okay, stop calling me that," BJ said and I laughed.

"Trav, how's your band?" I softly wrapped an arm around his head which still rested on my ribs.

"Doing madsick, our music is the shit." His voice sounded calm and confident, as always.

"Yeah!" Miguel shouted and it vibrated through his chest as the side of my head pressed against it. "I love going to his gigs… girls, booze, freaking – "

I lightly smacked Miguel's chest. "Miguel, you're 18 years old," I slightly sermonized. The rest of the boys started laughing and jeering at Miggy.

"Jill, we're all boys here. And boys will be boys," Travis strongly backed up.

"I know that, but don't do anything crazy. Don't do anything beyond that! Keep safe, boys," I ordered, albeit hearing small defeat in my voice. Yeap, maybe they were all grown up. "Besides, I'm still your big sister."

They all laughed at that. I think it's obvious why. I laughed along.

Amidst the amusing time with my brothers, my phone rang. It was on my dresser. I stood up and carefully hopped over each of the four big manly bodies that sprawled all over the bed.

I grabbed my phone. It was Colby.

My brows furrowing, I answered. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jill," Colby replied.

"Yo. What's up?"

"Just packing…" He breathed. "Um, listen. There's something really important I need you to know."

It slightly alarmed me. "Okay? What is it?" I said the words casually but I knew that I was slightly startled and whatever it was he was going to say, I hoped it wasn't a matter of life and death.

There was silence for quite the longest time. It was so silent, I almost thought the line went dead.

"Colby?" I checked to see if he was still there.

He just breathed.

"You're really scaring me right now," I said, a tad annoyance in my tone.

He laughed. "You shouldn't be."

"Well then what is it?" I kind of snapped.

"Um…" Colby teased slightly. I hated cliffhangers.

"Colby, I will hang up on you, I'm telling you," I warned.

He laughed again like I was joking. "Okay, okay. Here it is. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Colby," I answered, feeling irritated.

"All right," he said. "Jill… You're gonna have to go to Jon's place."

I looked myself in the mirror of my dresser and saw how contorted my face was upon hearing Colby's instruction.

_Excuse me?_

"I'm sorry?" I voiced confusion.

"You have to go to Cincinnati, Jill."

"What the fudge are you talking about?" I whispered and glanced over my shoulder to make sure the boys couldn't hear me.

Once again, that teasing chuckle of his penetrated my ears. "You see, Jon needs his phone so bad, I don't think he'll live without it. So you have to go there."

It didn't make sense.

"Why do I have to freaking go there?" Even when my words came out as a whisper, I'd stressed my voice fully.

"Because his phone's with you."

I was dumbfounded for about four seconds and seventy-nine milliseconds. I was silenced, and I was taking the time to absorb what he'd just said when he suddenly spoke again.

"I slipped it into your pouch before you left," Colby said and by the tone of his voice, I could imagine the mischievous grin on his face.

My eyes widened and my throat felt strained, I couldn't speak. As he delivered that information, I immediately grabbed my skull-printed black pouch and zipped it open with both of my hands while I cradled my phone between my ear and shoulder.

And it was there. Jon's phone was inside my pouch, probably dead-batt now.

I quickly stepped out of my room and closed the door behind me.

"Colby!" I almost yelled. "What the heck are you thinking?"

"Oh whoa whoa, easy. Let me explain. Look, Jon was really upset after what happened on Monday night; he was so pissed that he forgot about his phone. Before I realized everything, he'd already flown Tuesday morning. The last and best resort popped in my head – and it was you. First, you were going back home, and you live in Ohio like Jon. Second, at that time you still hadn't left yet, so I could still hand you Jon's phone and ask you to give it to him, but I knew you wouldn't comply with the idea knowing how things between the two of you have gone the previous night, so I decided to sneak in your room with the help of Bryan and booyah! I'd successfully flown Jon's phone back there in Ohio. All that needs to be done now is to travel its way from Cleveland to Cincinnati, and _you, _Jill Oliveira, are the solution."

For another long time, I held my face in frustration.

"I can't believe you're overjoyed with what you've done," I finally said.

"Ofcourse! Jon would be happy to have his phone back!" I couldn't believe he was actually excited.

"Colby, I am not going there. I can't believe you did that." My voice was firm and rigid.

"Why not?"

I struggled to find the right words. Crap. He got me right there.

"Um," I faltered. "Because… because it's a 4-hour drive." I palmed my face after saying that. But it was partially true.

"And so? 4-hour drive is actually nothing to you." Colby actually laughed. And he was right.

"Colby – " I tried to protest once more, but he cut me off.

"Look, Jill. I know why you're all obstinate about this. You see, sometimes we need to push those little sulking and misunderstanding aside."

_What the actual fudge._

"I am not sulky," I snapped.

"Yes you are."

"No."

"Jill, it's clearly the reason why you don't want to go there," Colby pointed.

Darn was he right. But I couldn't do it.

"Colby, I just can't. I can't see him."

"Jill, this is his phone we're talking about. And you can't let him go for two weeks without a phone, think about that. He's already been set off by this two-week hiatus and the attack he went through, I don't think he'll be impressed by spending two boring weeks without his phone. Not to mention, his mother ain't there with him in Cincinnati, and you don't wanna know how mad-crazy Jon could go when he's bored, bad-tempered, and _alone_."

I hated how Colby played his little game of guilt tripping, 'cause he definitely knew how to talk me into what he wanted me to do.

And guilt tripping aside, Colby was actually right. It was just selfish of me not to comply with his idea. I should have considered Jon's state and been more understanding. Even though I was really upset with how Jon treated me the other night, I had to be considerate. After all, I was just going to be driving for four hours to transport his precious phone, which he badly needed. Who knew, maybe within this week he was going to receive an important call from Vince or Paul, or maybe he had been anticipating his mother's call… _I should definitely bring him his phone_. I was finally convinced.

"All right. Give me the address," I said lifelessly.

I quickly grabbed a pen and paper and started jotting down Jon's address as per Colby's instructions.

"There you go," Colby said with what sounded like an elated tone in his voice. "Let me know when you get there already, okay? I'm sure he'll be greatly pleased to have his phone back."

"Okay," I responded impassively.

"And Jill? Since you're gonna be there already, why don't you two try settling your issues right?" And I could once again imagine that mischievous grin that only Colby Lopez could display.

"Whatever."

He chuckled. "Anyways. Thanks, Jill. Goodnight. Text me."

I hung up.

So it had been decided: I was going to Cincinnati to bring Jon his well-needed phone. And I'd just have to see what else could happen.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry again for the late update. I appreciate all of you who are reading this story. Reviews will really be a delight to me. Thank you everyone. ;)**


	18. Chapter 18

I parked in front of Jon's apartment and I couldn't shake off the simulated ants that had been biting me all over since last night. I was now in front this lodging place known as Aspen Village and I couldn't be more neurotic.

My mental battle with my subconscious last night on whether or not to comply with Colby's orders had almost been as vigorous as the fight that happened between Jon and Mighty Thorn previously. It lasted until this morning. It was a never-racking debate, and it only existed inside my own head. It had been one of those pressure-packed, indecisive moments of my entire life, and yet here I was, parked in front of his apartment anyway. Clearly, I had chosen to go here.

I stayed in my car seat, still all hesitant to switch the engine off because it served as my cue – I promised that if I already switched it off, the only option I had left was to get off my car and walk in his flat. I remained staring at the brick red and coal breeze blocks of the apartment through my car window as I thought deeply.

After a few moments of hesitation, I collected the urge to switch my engine off. I got off my car with a piercing uneasiness that seemed to increase colossally with every step I took as I approached the front door. I finally entered, and proceeded to the front desk to deliver my intentions. It wasn't any longer that I was walking until my search for the right door was over.

My heart pounding, I stood still as I affixed my gaze on the number of the door: 2B1. Jon's apartment number. I felt steams of sweat starting to come out of my pores.

_This is ridiculous. I should probably just go back._

_-After a four hour drive? Seriously? You're just literally like a knock away from accomplishing your mission and now you're thinking about backing out? You're such an idiot. Come on and knock already._

Feeling a lump in my throat and goose pimples sprouting all over my skin, I took on another cerebral debate with myself. I was honestly still hurt about what happened, and I could still hear Jon's unkind words and feel the coldness he'd given me that night. I was planning to appear to him today as casual as possible, hand him his phone, and peace out. Vamoose. I doubted he was going to talk to me, let alone apologize to me or something. So why hang around, right?

_Dear deities! Scrap that! There's no way he's doing that. He isn't gonna apologize to me all right._

_Is he?_

"You must be Jill." A husky voice with a thick accent startled me away from my disastrous thoughts. He actually sounded like Sylvester Stallone, I actually nearly believed it was Rocky who called my attention until I whirled around.

Seemingly swirling green eyes darted mine. The man before me was probably in his 40's. Though his stare was quite intimidating, the smile on his lips made me feel at ease.

I'd completely forgotten about Colby's text message to me this morning before I left home. He'd told me to look for a man called Willy as soon as I got here. It seemed like this bearded stout man standing in front of me was that man.

"Sir Willy?" I asked with uncertainty.

Willy nodded before letting out a good-natured laugh. His laugh became a tad louder and I wondered if my question sounded more like a joke to him. Then again, people had their own distinct sense of humor. But when Willy didn't stop laughing, I started thinking that maybe he had just reopened _his chocolate factory_.

"And I was just kidding, ofcourse I know who you are." Choco Wonka winked at me and it was rather amusing to be honest.

I only smiled, tight-lipped.

"Here's the key," Willy said as he handed me a key, which I only stared at, hesitant to take it.

I knitted my brow. I didn't even have to throw him a question to get the explanation I needed.

"Colby said it's best for you to sorta barge in there. This is the duplicate key to his door, now go." Willy pressed the key into my hand. When he was about to leave, he paused as if he remembered something. "Oh by the way," Willy said rather shyly, "can we take a picture?" He flashed his pearly whites.

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Ofcourse." I stood by his side, smiling up at the camera of his phone as he selfie'd both our faces.

"Thank you so much," I said. I didn't expect to encounter an interesting person today. It amused me.

"I think you should be champion again." His smile was unfading and contagious. "Thank you. Go inside. Jon's probably bored in there, keep him company, kid!" Willy turned on his heel and I watched him disappear.

Standing in front of Jon's door once again, I stared at the key in my hand for a few moments. It was like some contest and I'd successfully made it to the grand finals, and now the winner would be announced in just a few seconds. My heart pounded and it felt like it was trying to soar right out of my chest. _If I insert this key now, there's no turning back. _

I slipped the modicum of metal into the key hole. I twisted it and I heard the unlocking sound. Very nervously, I rotated the knob and pushed the door open very slowly.

I half-stepped inside on the carpeted floor. Greeting my eyes first was an empty living room, where an oatmeal-colored couch and coffee table were situated. It was spacious and cozy, especially with those blinds that blocked the glass doors that led to the balcony, allowing very little light to pass through. I loved dim places for some reason. I stepped in fully and gently closed the door behind me, and it was only then that I realized how silent the place was.

I looked to my right and found an empty four-person dining table, and a neat kitchen. There was food on the table, but it was obviously unmoved. The placemats were tidily in place. I scanned the ecru walls and saw a few pictures of nature displayed. For a moment there I stood all anxious thinking that I might have entered the wrong room. It didn't quite seem like the type of place Jon would stay in.

It was so silent. And more importantly, there was no trace of Jon yet.

I looked across the room and saw two doors. The first one was wide open, allowing me to see what the bathroom looked like. The door next to the bathroom was ajar, and from the narrow vertical space it gave I could catch a glimpse of a dresser.

Assuming that it was Jon's bedroom, I supposed that he was in there, probably asleep because he didn't even seem to be aware that somebody else had gotten in here. That I was here.

Swallowing hard, I painstakingly placed my olive green backpack on the dining table and pulled out Jon's phone. I would walk into his room and give it already and leave.

_Walk in. "Hey Jon." Give the phone. Leave. _Nope. Not working. I had to revise the plan.

_Arrive. "Hi Jon." Give phone. "Came to give this." Leave. _Err, no. Scrap that. Revise.

_Knock. Walk in. "You left your phone." Give phone. "Take care." Leave. _Crap just got worse.

_Knock. Walk in. "I'm sure you can't live without this." Give phone. "See ya, bye." Smile like an idiot. Leave. _NO! Back to the original plan!

Before I realized it, I had waltzed my way to the front of his bedroom door with Jon's phone in hand. A loud thud sounded in my chest when I heard some sort of indication of life and movement from inside the bedroom. It was like the sound that's made when the feet scuff against the comforter. I even heard something like a clank of glass.

I heard him inhale. Dear deities, it was _him_. I just heard Jon breathe. He was awake.

I breathed in. _All right, here goes nothing. _I quietly pushed the door open…

My mouth wouldn't say a word and my brain wouldn't command a muscle to move when I saw him. Jon was lying on his side, his back turned. He was only in his boxer shorts and dark blue t-shirt. But the most striking detail in the picture was that he was holding a green glass bottle with a tall and narrow neck. Even though I didn't drink, it wasn't really hard to tell that it was an alcoholic beverage. My eyes roamed around his room and as my gaze dropped on the floor just beside his bed, I was shocked to see four more empty bottles of the same drink.

_Why is he freakin' drinking? It's freaking noon._ And it did look to me like he still hadn't become aware of my presence because he was still –

"Did you forget something?" Jon asked with his back still turned. Despite sounding all too lazy and drunk, his voice did startle me. His free hand's fingers went fiddling with his bed sheet.

I didn't know if I had to respond. I was sure he was mistaken; he probably thought I was Willy. The sound of his voice was startling enough, but when he suddenly began to move from his position I thought my insides started fluttering. Even so, my feet were glued to where I stood.

"Willy, what are you still – " Jon's words were cut off as he sat up and completely turned to face me.

Our eyes met. I couldn't have been more frozen. His eyes were narrowed, his brow knitted. His disheveled hair struck me like it always did. I found myself dumbly voiceless.

"Jill?" he finally said. Jon's confused gaze held mine.

"H-Hi," I stammered. "Your phone," I said hesitantly as I waved his phone in my hand. "Sorry for the, um… late delivery. I'm sorry you had to live two days without your – "

"Jill!" Suddenly, Jon had an incredible look of eagerness on his face. His dimply smile actually beamed. And while I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but be a little baffled by it. "My God, you're actually here," Jon said, his stare not leaving mine. He was all cheery.

"Yeah, well… You badly need your phone," I said. The sight of the drink in his hand magnetized my eyes once again. "Why are you drinking?" There was a little opposition in my tone. I frowned.

"You're so kind." He put his head down as he remained sitting. He happened to ignore my question, but I felt like he did that without meaning to. After all, he was drunk. I looked on my right and noticed a charger atop his drawer.

"Is this your phone's charger?" I asked as I walked to his drawer. I didn't really need him to answer that, I knew it was the right charger. I was just actually rambling to dismiss the strange feeling I was having. I plugged it in and the phone started recharging.

"Jill," he called. I whirled around and saw him still with his head down, the half-empty bottle firm in his left hand. All of a sudden, Jon started patting the bed on his right side. "Come 'er," he said as he motioned for me to sit beside him.

Goodness. I could've almost sworn I'd seen this before.

I complied, and found myself approaching Jon. Slowly, I took a seat next to him on the bed. After a few moments of awkward silence, he managed to look up already, again holding my gaze. We were sitting, face-to-face.

Now that I was actually closer, I was able to notice the slight redness and wateriness in his oceanic eyes.

"Why are you drinking?" I pressed.

His lips curved into a wide smile. "I got bored," he responded nonsensically and let out a chuckle.

"Jon, it's freaking noon." My face still spelled puzzlement and a hint of concern.

I decided that he needed to stop. I managed to gently snatch the bottle away from his hand. To my surprise, he didn't protest and his grip around the bottle was by no means tight. I set the bottle on the floor together with the other four empty ones.

When I looked back at Jon, his face was blank. It made me anxious. I didn't know what he was thinking.

"What?" My voice clearly reflected the befuddlement I felt.

That dimply, teeth-showing smile started to spread on Jon's lips again. _What the…_

Suddenly, he scooted nearer until the gap between us on the bed was gone. His big right hand slowly came to stroke my long black hair, simultaneously rubbing my back. His hand was dramatically… warm.

I had to keep my eyes under control and not let it pop out and wide open upon feeling what I was feeling.

"Jon?" I whispered. And to have my voice sound half a pitch higher than usual indicated something bizarre, because my voice naturally sounded like that of a boy who's reached puberty.

He was still smiling as my back continued to exult in his tender touch. I couldn't understand, but the feeling was downright lovely. I was trying to puzzle it together, but I realized I couldn't even begin to think straight anymore.

"I'm glad to see you" – Jon continued his theatrical caressing – "That's very nice of you, you know?"

In actuality, Jon was being weird. What he was doing was downright weird. But to me, it was just adorable. Things got even cuter when he began to snipe what I considered a rather sweet and gentle tirade of magical words…

"You're a very nice person… I really like… nice people. I'm really glad you're here, Jill. I'm actually so glad. My phone is back… you're here… You're very nice." The words were delivered in almost like a sing-song manner and I just sat there, speechless, wholeheartedly welcoming his words which were music to my ears. The vibe was weird but rather amusing, and I think it was because of his drunken state.

"Jill," Jon once again spoke, but this time he said my name in a more solid tone. He stopped moving his hand, fixing it on the small of my back. He looked up and my gaze locked with his now pinkish and watery eyes, showing me how intoxicated he was. He fluttered his lids a few times in a slow manner before affixing his stare back on me as he licked his lips.

He looked like he wanted to say something. And I had no freaking idea what it was.

"Are you… mad at me?" Jon dropped the hammer. I looked at him and saw the seriousness on his face.

"N-no, Jon." I lightly shook my head. "I'm not that mad, I'm not – "

"Sorry," he whispered, looking away. "Sorry, Jill." Suddenly, he was back on the sing-song mode repeatedly apologizing to me without definite explanation. Again, he was being weird. But Jon being weird only translated into being adorable in my book. There was no denying that I was enticed by the scene; so enticed that no words would escape my lips to respond to him.

Finally, his melodic apologies stopped. His hand was still firm on the small of my back…

Until I felt it slide further along the side of my waist. In addition to that, his grip felt a little tighter. _Fudgesicles. Jon is holding me by the waist. _I even awkwardly glanced at my side to see if it was real. And it was.

As real as it seemed, I still didn't get it. What was happening? I looked back at Jon and saw him smiling at me again and I could stare at that dimple so long that I could be sucked deep into it. Things had just gotten even more confusing… and interesting.

I didn't realize how drunk Jon was until I felt some kind of force from his hand – it was stronger than just a grip, it was beyond a grip. His hand that partially held me now started to… pull me closer to him.

I must have been imagining things. _I'm delusional… I'm being delusional._

Before I knew it, Jon had leaned forward to drop his head on my shoulder.

The top I wore was a striped shirt with long sleeves, but it was off-shoulder so there was direct skin contact. Jon and I were touching skins. _Whoa whoa what in the world is going on? _

As the neurons in every nerve of my body took more time to decide of what reaction I'd produce, I was actually feeling Jon's nose on my shoulder. I wouldn't call it 'nuzzling', but I think that was how it felt like to be nuzzled by someone. I could feel him breathing through his nose, and there was something really odd and fantastic of a feeling about someone inhaling and exhaling on your skin.

_What sorcery is this?_

I was in some short-lived trance, until a burning sensation penetrated me. And no, before you even think about _that, _it's not what you think. It's a different burning sensation. As Jon's forehead remained glued to my shoulder, it transmitted a scorching heat to my skin.

And that was when I kind of snapped into what was going on.

"Jon!" I gasped. "You're on fire!" I exclaimed as soon as I realized that Jon had fever. I carefully held his head which again made me feel the sizzling heat his body possessed. I slowly pushed him away so I could see his face.

"Thanks, you're actually hot too." His words were unexpected, and just drunken. His eyes were tired. He did look sick. "You always are." He sniffed and rubbed his nose. "You smell... really nice."

It didn't help that he was making me blush while I had to take care of him because he was sick. Even so, I had to focus.

"No. You're literally hot and you have fever." I was full of concern. "You've got fever and you're getting yourself drunk? What the heck, Jon?"

He only smiled before raking a hand through his hair. And then he started coughing really bad.

"Oh my gosh," I muttered in panic. But I couldn't panic. I always took care of my brothers when they were feverish, but this was different. I'd only handled sick people who were sober at the time. _How the heck do you take care of someone who is sick and drunk at the same time?_

"Wait here," I said quickly as I stood up. I collected the empty liquor bottles from the floor and walked out of Jon's room.

I kinda put it together in my head that the first step to be done was to stop Jon from drinking; getting him more drunk would've made it worst. And I'd already done that - I'd already stopped him. I decided that I would perhaps treat this as a normal case of fever, then.

I came back with a basin of lukewarm water. I raided his drawers and found a face towel I could use. When I turned, he got up from the bed and rushed toward the door and into his bathroom.

I began hearing him vomit vehemently. I followed him to the bathroom and started rubbing his back as he continued throwing up in the sink. When he was done, he could barely walk. I was thinking that because of the joint forces of the alcohol and fever, Jon must have been feeling all sorts of weird pains now, ranging from headache to vomiting and every aftereffect possible. I guided him back into his room.

"Let's clean you up," I told him as soon as he sat on the bed. Raiding his drawers again, I pulled out a clean plain white t-shirt. I placed it next to him, and pulled a small stool next to the bed where I placed the basin.

I looked at him and at his puke-stained blue shirt. I couldn't start sponge bathing him if he still had it on.

As though he'd heard my thoughts, he took his shirt off. And of course I had to ignore the fact that Jon was sitting topless before me.

"I get to have an instant nurse today? This must be my lucky day," Jon joked in between his heavy coughs. How he could still manage to smile while feeling sick was beyond me.

I soaked the towel into the lukewarm water and squeezed it completely. Very gently, I ran the damp cloth on his neck and shoulders. I extended out each of his arms and rubbed smoothly, careful enough not to irritate the fresh wounds on his forearm. I rubbed down his bare back before finally going over his torso… which was quite frankly the most awkward part. That chiseled chest nearly got me distracted. Once done, I helped him put on his clean white shirt since he appeared to be feeling more affected by the fever now and couldn't quite move properly.

"Just a second," I muttered before grabbing his dirty shirt and walking out his door. The next target of my raid mission was the cupboards in his kitchen. Luckily, I found something of big help.

I walked back in Jon's room with a tray consisting of a bowl of corn soup, a glass of water, and an ibuprofen capsule, which I'd found in my magical bag pack.

"What's that?" Jon asked, wrinkling his nose at the sight of everything on the tray I held.

"You have to eat," I answered as I set the tray down and sat next to him.

"I don't want to."

"You're not gonna take the medicine with an empty stomach," I said. He puckered his lips in disgust.

"But my stomach feels full," he protested, rubbing his stomach.

"Of alcohol." I pressed. He didn't say anything. I grabbed the bowl of soup.

"All right, come on now. This isn't the yummiest meal, but it's good enough." I carefully held out a spoonful of soup to his mouth. He reluctantly parted his lips and sipped the liquid.

I continued to feed him until he'd supped the last morsels of the corn soup.

"Good boy! See? It's not a hard thing to do." I giggled as I set the bowl down and prepared his water and medicine. "Here." I handed him the capsule. He popped it into his mouth and took the glass of water from my hand to drink.

When I'd cleaned up, I told him to get some rest. By this time, Jon was already starting to get grumpy, and I think much of that was entirely due to his drinking earlier.

"Lie down and fall asleep," I said and even I mentally laughed at my command. _Fall asleep? _

He did as he was told and I pulled the comforter over his body. Grabbing the face towel and basin, I again soaked and squeezed it. When I saw him looking at me with an unreadable expression, I just told him simply, "To lower your temperature," with a reassuring smile and he didn't say anything anymore.

Sitting down on the bed next to his lying body, I painstakingly patted the damp towel on his cheeks and forehead, applying very light pressure. For a few more times, I glided the towel over his forehead.

I noticed that his lids were growing heavier and that he was trying to fight off the drowsiness.

"Jon, sleep." It came out more like a gentle plea or something.

He smiled weakly. "Okay," he answered, his voice a bit throaty and tired. "Are you still going to be here when I wake up?"

I didn't have to gather my thoughts to come up with an answer. "Yeap."

"Why?" His smile was teasing and little playful.

"Until you get better, I don't think I'm leaving." _Unless your mom comes back to take care of you, _I mentally added.

But I had actually already been enjoying nursing Jon. Which reminded me of whether or not his mom would be home anytime soon.

"Where's your mom by the way?" I asked.

"With my aunts in Virginia, she's staying there for three more days."

"Oh," I responded. "All right, go get some sleep. I'll be waking you at 5 PM for the medicine. We'll take it every four hours."

"Thank you… sweet cheeks."

That was sweet to the ears.

I nodded simply and playfully saluted. I watched him close his eyes.

Moments later, Jon was sleeping like an angel. It was the most cherubic face I'd ever seen. It was hard to think that it was the same face who gave me the cold shoulder three nights ago, the one who had been mean to me. But seeing him weak today and drowning himself in alcohol made me think that perhaps he had deeper problems to endlessly think of. And just by looking at this beatific picture of him in his sleep easily made the pain go away.

In his living area, I grabbed my phone and dialed BJ's number, but I got no answer. I called Travis instead.

"Hey, Trav. I won't be home tonight. Tell Beej and the rest. Love ya."

* * *

**A/N: I'll be honest and tell you all that I am seriously anxious about the response I'm about to get for this chapter. I just... don't know. :))**

**P.S. Please don't get confused with the Willy Wonka joke. I just happened to incorporate Willy Wonka with the stout Willy (OC; cameo role LOL) in this chapter simply because they have the same first names. If you don't appreciate the comedy, I'm sorry. And if you're not familiar with Willy Wonka, I apologize.**

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter. Did you? What are your thoughts? Reviews are wholeheartedly appreciated. God bless you all!**


	19. Chapter 19

At 4:50 in the afternoon, my phone's alarm tone pierced the silence. I'd slept on the couch in Jon's living room. A three-hour sleep had been good enough to help myself regain some of the strength I'd used both in driving this morning… and debating with myself mentally.

I elected to wake up earlier than the scheduled hour because I had a habit of staying in bed (well in this case, on the couch) for a few more minutes after awakening to contemplate on a few random things.

Remembering that Jon needed to take his meds at five o'clock, I rose from the sofa at a slight stupor. As I stood on my feet and stretched my arms, the cold wind blew from the balcony. It occurred to me that I had opened the glass doors before I snoozed earlier. Boy, was it cold. My little fingers were ice cold. I slid the door closed and no breeze passed through anymore.

Inside his room, Jon looked so gentle in his sleep. A smile so impossible to hide started spreading on my lips. I almost didn't want to wake him up and interrupt his forty winks had it not been for his fever. He had to take the darn meds.

As soon as I set both the medicine container and glass of water on his nightstand, I carefully pulled off his comforter to his mid-section.

"Jon," I whispered as I gently shook him by his arm. "Jon," I repeated when he didn't react.

When I shook him again, his shut eyes began to twitch. His lips curling, his lids slowly fluttered open.

"Meds," I reminded him simply, smiling a little as I looked down at him.

He blinked a few times, and from the look on his face it did seem like he was kind of feeling uneasy. Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes and brushed his hair with his hand.

"Here," I held out the capsule. He quietly took it and popped it in his mouth, after which he took the glass of water to drink. He was all silent.

"How are you feeling?" I asked as I took the glass from him.

He started massaging the bridge of his nose. "My head hurts," Jon replied with his eyes shut, his voice husky and low.

_Must be the alcohol. Hangovers. _

"Do you want to eat something? Or you still need more sleep?" I looked at him and waited for a response. He actually looked like he was in some kind of dazed state. He did need to go back to sleep.

I didn't wait for him to say anything anymore. "All right, go back to sleep." I gently pushed him back down on the bed as he complied. I pulled the covers over his body before turning on my heel and walking to his door.

"Don't leave." Jon's voice made me stop short. I whirled around to face him. "Don't leave," Jon murmured once more as he lay there, eyes shut, that cherubic sleeping form of his displayed before me. He was seemingly half-asleep.

Biting my lower lip as I couldn't help the smile on my face, I slowly walked back to his bed.

"What's that, Jon?" I hoped he'd repeat those two adorable half-conscious words of his.

"Don't leave, Jill." And he did. This time with a third word added. A name. My name.

"I won't. I'll just stay in your living room. I'll wake you up later tonight for the meds again, okay?"

"Okay, thank you," Jon replied, the words barely audible now. I left the room with an unbending smile.

After I gently closed Jon's door behind me, Willy surprisingly budded like a tulip by the dining table. Cradled in his hairy arms was a yellow basket containing… art materials.

"Um, hi. Hi again," I greeted uncertainly.

Willy's shy smile grew before he randomly stated the reason for his sudden presence, "I know it's kind of too much to ask, but… can you help me work on my birthday present for my daughter?" His timid, crazy-sounding chuckle rang around the room.

I stared at his hands as they embraced the container full of flower sequins, colored papers, and scissors. The basket sat back against his ample belly.

When I failed to give a response, Willy started straightening his clothes and rubbing the back of his neck like how an introverted junior on his prom night would. "You see, there aren't many girls here." Willy's uncertain smile stretched. "I don't mean to bother you, but you're my last resort. And I'll do anything for my 7-year-old sweetheart no matter how embarrassing it could make me feel. This is a special day and I don't always get to do this for her."

I smiled simply as I let his words touch the deepest backbone of my heart. It was so sweet I couldn't help my heart from nearly melting inside.

"Sure," I said. "Let's do it!" I exclaimed as I eyed the basket in his hands.

By the way… I was never really fond of any handcraft art thing. Doing Willy a favor was almost a risk. But his benevolence and compassion for his daughter was undeniable that I didn't even mind. I did wish myself luck before laying my hands on the fancy art materials.

* * *

From the dust pan I transferred all the litter to the garbage bag. I had been cleaning the mess Willy and I'd left which was composed of scattered glitters, frayed art papers, spots of dried glue, and glistening sequins that speckled on the floor all combined with dust. I finally kept the garbage bag away after which I surveyed the room to see my finished product. Squeaky clean.

The skies outside were dark now. When I decided to help Willy earlier, I hadn't honestly expected that it would take us three hours to get done. Sitting on the ground with our heads hung low for hours, and only our hands and fingers doing all the work, it was actually tiring and literally backbone-breaking in a way. But after seeing the outcome of our teamwork together with the priceless look on Willy's face, I totally had no regrets. After all, it wasn't really too much, and we would make his daughter very happy. Besides, Willy was really an amusing person with a lot of stories to tell. I'd learned that he used to work with Jon on the independent scene in wrestling, which made me love Willy more finding out that he was both a wrestler and a loving father. Sweet little joys. Willy had thanked me nonstop, and as a token of appreciation he gave me Philly steak sandwiches.

Plopping down on the sofa, I stretched my arms and it felt great as I heard tiny crack sounds from my slightly strained bones. I sprawled on the couch, finally exhaling when my phone started ringing. I pulled it from my pocket and checked who it was. Cody.

"Whaddup kiddo?!" Cody excitedly shouted before I could even say 'hello' as I picked up.

"What is wrong with you?" I half-laughed as I questioned his enthusiasm.

"Nothing is wrong with me, because if there was, I wouldn't be missing you; thus wouldn't be calling you tonight."

I palmed my face at the ridiculousness of the idea. "Cheesy," I commented. "But thanks anyways."

"Seriously, though, I miss you. Bryan is in tears over your absence."

I laughed when he said that and I heard D-Bry yelling in the background in protest. "To be honest though I miss being there with you barfs," I said sincerely.

"Really? I didn't think you would," Cody said.

"Are you kidding me? I freakin' wanna get back to work already. I'm a little riled," I replied.

"Are you sure?" There was something in Cody's tone that I became suspicious about.

"Yeah, why?" I was a little confused.

"Nothing," Cody whispered. "I just thought you wouldn't feel so upset over your suspension now that you have _Jon _taking your focus somewhere else."

I bit my lip. So the news that 'I have gone to Cincinnati and am currently at Jon's home' had spread. Not that I was actually worried about Cody and D-Bry finding out, they were my best-est friends and all. But I was afraid that the news had gotten outside the circle of my closest friends. The WWE locker room was actually capable of being the most intense hot-seat program you could possibly get into and the last thing you'd want was to get yourself involved in a scandal or a rumor being passed from one mouth to another, and have the entire nosy locker room pry into your private affairs.

On second thought, I figured it would be just fine. I'd just have to murder Colby, then.

"Shut up," I said.

Cody squealed so annoyingly loud that I had to keep the phone away from my ear. "Come on, Jill what is going on over there?" I hated it when he pried.

"Well he just got his phone back." Accidentally, my gaze dropped on the wall clock and it read nine o'clock. "Crap! Dude, I'll call you back."

"What's wrong?"

"Just… Um, I have to wake Jon up and give him his meds." I got to my feet and walked to the dining table where I'd placed the meds.

"What? Is he sick?"

"Yeah," I answered.

"All right, all right. When we meet again, you've got stories to tell, okay? For the meantime, I want you to be the ever-loving and caring nurse that _your Jon _deserves." Cody giggled like a homosexual idiot. Sometimes I wanted to punch him for acting like a teenage girl who was always excited to hear about her friends' first kisses.

"Shut up, Cody. Goodbye." I hung up and went to prepare the medicine and water for Jon.

Figuring that Jon hadn't had a thing in his stomach for the past eight hours, I took the Philly steak sandwiches given by Willy and placed them on the tray.

Gently, I foot-pushed the door open and walked into the darkness of Jon's room. The only light coming from the door I'd just opened guided me until I carefully set the tray on his nightstand. I switched the lamp on and suddenly the perfect combination of darkness and sallow luminance glowed around the room.

"Jon." I lightly tapped his arm. Surprisingly, he immediately moved and his eyes opened quickly.

His droopy eyes met mine through a curtain of disheveled hair over his face.

"Meds again." I smiled uncertainly. "But before that, you'll have to eat."

"Good idea," Jon replied in a husky voice. Slightly anxious, I watched him sit up and brush the hair out of his face.

I honestly was nervous about the fact that this was already a less-groggy-less-drunk-more-restrained Jonathan Good before me now – which meant that there could be a possibility that I was going to have a much harder time reading him again compared to dealing with him when he was actually sick, intoxicated, and just rambling half-consciously like he did earlier.

At this point, I just didn't know what to expect. So I elected to expect what was best: To expect the worst (so as to avoid disappointments).

_He might give me the cold shoulder again. He might not say anything at all. He might deliver a harsh statement of some sort to me tonight or something. He might just… he might –_

"I think it's why I woke up so instantly, I'm kinda starving," Jon stated, snapping my mind away from another one of my mental mantra sessions.

I held out the plate of sandwiches to him. "Here, they're from Willy."

"I see you and him have met already," Jon commented quietly, not an expression or anything on his face.

_I think it's coming… I can feel it. _Inside, I was beginning to be antsier than I already was, thanks to his unpredictability.

And when he hesitated about taking the food…

_Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Please don't say anything harsh._

For a moment right there Jon just kept staring at the sandwiches on the plate I held. And his face was still expressionless.

_Why is he being hesitant? Does he not like Philly steak?_

Without warning, Jon's lips curved into a smile, exposing that dimple I'd always adored.

"Take the other one," Jon kindly offered, his smile unfading. _Wow. _

Even though I actually felt hungry, I was kind of shy. "Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah," Jon replied. "They're actually big, and my eyes are bigger than my stomach most of the time. I always grab food because they look delicious, but often end up having more food than I can finish… so yeah, eat the other one." He chuckled. My. Heart. Melted. I was surprised to hear a long statement from him at that point.

"O-okay," I agreed finally and took the other piece. "Let's eat, then!" I smiled.

"Sit here," Jon said.

I complied and sat next to him on his bed. So far, nothing inappropriate had taken place. Not that I wished for it. I was just surprised. I took a bite out of my Philly steak sandwich.

I think about 39.64 seconds later, I had entirely devoured the thing without realizing. Philly steak was almost as Good as Jonathan.

Jon began laughing softly in between chews. "Someone hasn't had a meal for the whole day," Jon teased. A little embarrassed, I laughed along a bit uncomfortably, thinking that he just might have been thinking how much of a glutton I was.

But I was really hungry. I understood that it wouldn't have mattered at all had it been Cody or D-Bry, but dang it! This was Jon we're talking about. With him, everything just seemed a little more different. With him I was more conscious; with him I had a tendency to be more mindful. It was crazy.

I watched him stuff the last piece into his mouth and drink from the glass of water.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked.

"Yeah, a lot better, actually." He collected the capsule and popped it in his mouth before taking another swig of water. Letting out a breath, he put everything back on the tray on his nightstand.

Before I realized it, I had reached for him, touching his neck to see if he was still hot, literally. To my relief, he wasn't anymore. His temperature had completely lowered now.

"Yes!" I shouted with genuine joy in my heart. "Thank goodness, you're well now!"

"I really should be thanking you," Jon said looking at me with an earnest smile. "Thank you, Jill."

It really touched me.

"No problem," I replied. "I think it would've been really wicked of me not to take care of you when I knew full-well that there was no one else to look after you." I let out a soft chuckle and subconsciously bit the edge of my fingernail.

Jon gave me what I considered a sympathetic smile. "You're so nice to me."

I didn't know how, but very quickly I managed to give a response; I shrugged simply. Deep down though, I was really beginning to feel conscious about it. _Am I so nice to him? Is it that obvious? _

"But then, maybe you're actually nice to people in general. I don't know," he added when I didn't say a word.

_Maybe. Maybe not, Jon. _I still couldn't bring myself to say something since he said that I was so nice to him. I just sat there all silent for a while, as he kept his gaze on me.

"But if by any chance that niceness is exclusively for me, I have every reason to smile." Jon looked away instantly, chuckling coyly and teasingly at the same time as he shifted his eyes to the floor.

Did he really mean that? The temperature in my cheeks suddenly went high.

Even so, I elected not to acknowledge what he'd just said. Who knew, maybe I was just assuming things and being delusional again.

"Really, it's fine," I started dismissing the subject. "My conscience would pounce on me if I didn't take care of you while you were sick." I knew in my heart, though, that there was a deeper reason that went past my conscience. "What's important is that you're well now, you got your phone back, and… it's only just a few more days till you're back to work!" I cheered.

Jon's expression turned somber all of a sudden. It worried me. I frowned at him.

"I'm sorry," Jon whispered, looking away and down at his hands.

"For what?"

"Jill, I was such a _dick_ that Monday night," he confessed.

I half-shivered at his words. It wasn't that I didn't want to talk about that particular issue; who was I kidding? I did want to get to the bottom of what had happened and work it out – it was what I wanted more than anything at this point. I guess I was just nervous because I didn't think he would be the one to broach the subject but he did, and he was sober this time. And for a moment right there I wondered if he had been meaning to discuss that with me all along.

"I was just – I don't know," he stammered, keeping his gaze down. "The entire situation had really seized me. Nothing is uglier of a feeling than getting attacked by a prick after just performing for a crowd and doing the funnest job in the world. It's like having a loved one die in front of you after you just won a championship match. The transition of emotions wasn't really smooth, and I totally went out of my mind."

I silently nodded in understanding. He licked his lips before continuing.

"My actions were unacceptable. I am truly sorry for being harsh to you. I just also want to say that I did_ not _mean everything I told you that night. I was just furious. And everyone knows you didn't deserve that. Colby and Joe came down on me like a ton of bricks for the way I acted, and they were right. I was foolish."

My heart softened at his words.

Jon looked at me, his blue eyes exuding guilt. "I'm truly sorry, Jill." He gently fondled my shoulder.

If a moment ago it just softened, this time my heart soared. His touch felt precious, comforting. I felt his sincerity.

"It's okay, Jon." I offered him a sympathetic smile. His hand remained on my shoulder and I wanted to stroke it, but refused to.

"Really?" he asked, slowly removing his hand from my shoulder. Mentally, I was frowning at it.

"Yes," I replied.

"This is the part I don't get. Not that I don't want you to forgive me, but I've been really obnoxious that I expected you to be aloof and all. But here you are, doing all these good things to me… I'm so guilty," Jon explained. "For that, thanks so much. And again, I'm truly sorry."

I chuckled. "Don't worry about it, it's okay. I truly understand. Let's move on!" I extended my hand, offering him a low-five.

Beaming with that dimply smile, he softly slapped his palm against mine, and he held it for a moment.

_Blush alert._

"You have such small hands," Jon commented as he intently examined my tiny left hand in his.

I shrugged. "Well… I'm a tiny person," I replied matter-of-factly.

He pulled my hand closer to his face as he studied it. It was literally just inches away from his face that I could feel his breath on my hand. I couldn't explain the feeling.

"Baby doll hands." He laughed heartily. I couldn't tell if it was a compliment or an insult, but just by seeing how he enjoyed that little fact, I was already in delight. I watched his eyes disappear as he continued laughing. What an adorable creature.

"Shut up!" I playfully snatched away my hand. And now that we were both genuinely sharing laughter, I wanted to take the time to talk about Mighty Thorn.

"Hey," I began, taking a deep breath. "So, um. That guy? You know, the attacker from Monday night. Who is he, really? If… you don't mind."

"His name's Dax," Jon answered very casually.

"And the reason he attacked you?"

"Brenda." He shook his head before sneering mockingly.

"Oh," I muttered. "Brenda, your… girlfriend?" It was a rhetorical question and I knew it.

"_Ex-_girlfriend," he corrected. "I don't think Dax gets it, I'm not with her anymore - which I'm very happy about. I don't know why he wasted time knife-combatting me when Brenda and I aren't together no more."

"Maybe Brenda's still unable to move on, and even when you're no longer together she tells Dax otherwise." I subconsciously finger-combed my hair.

"Well that ain't my problem anymore," Jon said obstinately. "Bottomline is, Brenda's single now and she can sleep with any guy that turns her on. There isn't really a difference, you know? Single or in a relationship, Brenda just can't help sleeping with different men."

Inside, my heart kind of got sliced. I was wincing for both parties; I cringed for the fact that Brenda was so defenseless in this conversation I was having with Jon because he was really saying awful things about her. At the same time, I cringed about the thought of Jon having to go through such a difficult relationship with a woman like Brenda.

_No offense, but… Where did you get this girl? At some brothel? _After that mental note, I quickly followed it with a mental prayer to God asking for forgiveness for being so quick to judge a person I didn't even know.

"Don't worry," I said looking at him. "Bad or unpleasant things cannot last forever, they are sure to improve with time. And if they don't, God makes sure you get rid of them."

"Totally." Jon closed his eyes and inhaled-exhaled. "God, I'm just so fucking glad she's out of my life." I slightly wanted to laugh, mainly because of his cussing, but also because of the funny look on his face as he expressed relief. "She's a whiny, horny, ungrateful rat! I can't believe I actually became one of her victims."

This time I failed to hold my laughter. The way he described her just sounded pathetic but funny and my initial reaction was to laugh. But then I felt bad for Brenda that Jon saw her that way now. It was sad.

"Well think about the first day you laid your eyes on her. What did you like about her?" I was surprised to hear myself spew out the words. It was then that I realized that how interested I was about his previous relationship.

Jon pursed his lips looking up at the ceiling as he seemed to gather his thoughts. "I don't really know," he said after a few moments. "I didn't really like her. It was just a friend-of-a-friend-type of thing, and we were always going out with our friends and it was always the two of us casually talking so I probably, stupidly conjured up in my head that it felt _nice _to be with her, so I thought I liked her."

"So that's how you developed feelings for her?"

"Geez, no. I don't even think I ever had intimate feelings for her," he actually said it with a smile of mockery. I slightly frowned. "She was nice in the beginning and I thought maybe I did like her, until she started really showing her true colors. I wanted to give chances so I kept telling myself it was going to work out, so I let the relationship go longer than it should have. Looking back, I still can't believe myself."

"That's all right, Jon. Mistakes are innate in us humans," I comforted.

"I know. But I wish I'd ended it a little sooner and didn't have to waste three months. Three months is a long time!" The solid look of protest on his face tickled my ribs and I wanted to laugh again.

"Calm down," I told him, laughing. "At least it's still a learning experience, right?"

"Damn right. From now on I promise myself not to be involved with long-legged, empty-headed, erotic blondes anymore." He shook his head, smiling to himself.

Again, I couldn't hold back a laugh. He then adjusted himself on the bed and scooted a little closer. Suddenly, his expression turned thoughtful in a mesmerizing way as he kept a tight-lipped smile.

"I think it's better to be with girls who are… _dark-haired, shorter, _and smarter," Jon said, not breaking eye contact.

Initially, I would have laughed again because he just basically, exactly described the opposite of his ex. But something about what he'd just said caught my attention. What it was, I couldn't pinpoint. I didn't know if there really was a hidden message or something. Again, maybe I was being delusional.

I dismissed the thought. "I actually pity Brenda." I began to tsk while Jon gave me a confused look. "Can't blame her for being unhappy after the breakup," I continued, "Heck, she must be feeling miserable that she mistreated an incredibly good-looking and talented dude." As soon as the words hung in the air, I felt heat rushing to my cheeks.

However, even if I could, I wouldn't take the words back. I might have felt a little bit of embarrassment after I sincerely expressed how amazing of a person Jon was, but he deserved to know it. He deserved to know that he was a decent person who was worthy of respect.

"Is that so?" Jon asked, licking his lips as his eyes narrowed. His expression was unreadable.

"Yeap, trust me," I said, applying casualness to my tone. "I'm as true as steel, bro!" I said with a funny accent.

Jon laughed and playfully reached my side to tickle me.

"So!" I clapped my hands as my eyes lit up. "It's all good now, right?" I eagerly asked with a wide grin.

"Well um, do you forgive me?" Jon pouted.

_Stop that. I will freaking cup your face in my tiny hands and I just might squeeze the cuteness out of you._

"Ofcourse!" I winked.

Because of the extreme joy I felt, I thought it was just proper to have a fiesta bigger than Alberto Del Rio's. Except that I was already a little sleepy and probably tired.

I had accomplished a lot of things today:

[x] Bring back Jon's phone

[x] Attend to my nursing duties with Jon (unprompted)

[x] Do a little charity and help Willy prepare a birthday present for his daughter

[x] Clean Jon's house

[x] Eat

[x] Reconcile with Jon

I couldn't have been more satisfied. Little by little, I felt the drowsiness take over me when suddenly…

"I have one problem now," Jon suddenly muttered with wide-open eyes.

I arched my brow. "What?"

He glanced at the alarm clock on his nightstand and looked back at me. "I can't sleep."

Perhaps I'd completed a number of tasks already, but maybe God thought my day wasn't just over yet.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize for the delayed update. I know that keeping you guys waiting for too long is without a doubt an_ injustice_. I am sorry. College life has grabbed me by the throat and has begun squeezing the life out of me! It is hard. Again, from the deepest backbone of my heart, I'm sorry for the wait.**

**But folks, look at it this way: If Jill was able to forgive Jon, maybe you can forgive me too, right? ;"]**

**To everyone who keeps supporting this story, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. God bless you all.**


	20. Chapter 20

Jon had just told me he couldn't sleep, and it was obvious why. He'd been in bed half the day, and now that he was feeling better than ever, not to mention had also eaten, I certainly didn't think he still had even an ounce of sleep-spirit left in him.

While I was by all means sleepy already, there was just absolutely no way to put Jon to sleep at 9:45 PM.

"That is some serious problem," I said half-jokingly at his seriously problematic expression.

"Seriously, what am I going to do?" Jon stood up by the bed and stretched his arms.

"Um, I don't know?" I scratched my head. "I have my PSP with me. You wanna play?" I covered my mouth as I yawned. Darn it, I really was sleepy.

"Mmm… yeah, I think that will be of big help."

"All right, wait here." I got up and walked out his door to get my PSP.

I tried to turn it on but the empty-battery signal flashed on the screen and I remembered that I had not charged it last night after Miguel used it. I sighed before walking back into Jon's room.

"Jon," I said as soon as I entered. "It's dead-batt and I forgot to bring the charger, sorry."

Jon pursed his lips as he stood there. "Sad," he joked and pouted. I shook my head as I laughed. "Do you wanna, uhh… watch a movie?"

I smiled sympathetically. I did want to watch a movie with him, but I knew I couldn't really manage to stay up much longer.

"Would love to, but I'm afraid I'll fall asleep quickly."

Jon returned the smile. "I understand. You've driven for four hours, and I'm suspecting Willy has gotten you jaded."

"Not… really. I just really had to give my best since I know very little about carefully putting sequins together, and it required a lot of effort honestly." I laughed.

"Well aren't you such an extremely nice girl?"

"Err, nope. Not extremely nice."

And then silence fell over us for a few seconds. And in that moment of silence I took the time to take in his appearance that I knew was always pleasant to my eyes no matter what. Whether he was in his black protective vest as Dean Ambrose or he was in his boxer shorts and blue homely shirt as simply Jonathan Good, he delighted me. Before I could be completely lost in the cuteness that was him, he broke the silence.

"By the way, I have a little something for you."

"Huh?" What could it be? _He can't be serious, right? I mean. He has something FOR ME?_

"Come here," Jon ordered. I approached him with a confused look.

"Is this some kind of prank?" I asked as soon as I stood before him and my head was at level with his chest. The question did sound funny but it was totally unbelievable for him to get me something that I couldn't help but ask it.

Jon laughed. "No, silly." He pinched my cheek and a tint of red stained my face.

I stood there motionless as I watched him lift his knee onto the bed while he bent over, reaching for something under the pillow. Either his 'present' had to be really small or he just happened to have huge hands enough to completely conceal it from my view, because I didn't get to see a part or color of it at all. I didn't know what it was. Anticipation crept into me as I felt more excited. Getting back on his feet before me, he quickly held the thing behind him.

"This is not really expensive, don't expect." Jon flashed his dimply smile.

I shrugged, smiling back as I couldn't wait anymore.

Jon finally revealed his 'little something' for me. Before my very eyes was a member of the best-looking yellow earthlings on the planet: A stuffed minion! A MINION, DARN IT! _Bananaaaa! _

My droopy eyes grew wide and for a moment I forgot about craving for sleep. Just a few days ago I had been desperately trying to win one stuffed minion from the claw crane machine, but failed multiple times. And now I could finally have one… and it was from Jon!

"No way! Dude!" I shouted in joy as I grabbed the stuffed toy. "Oh my gosh! It's like winning a championship! Wow!" I held my new prized possession close to my heart. The very form, color, and shape of it captured me in an unnatural way. Having it in my hands got me weak that I had to sit on Jon's bed as I cherished the moment of holding the toy.

"Colby had mentioned how desperate you looked in the arcade enter. So, I tried getting one. Luckily, I got it on the first try." He smirked as though he wanted to brag about how he was such a winner. "I was supposed to give it to you after the show, but…" Jon trailed off, and the expression on his face told me the rest of the story. The image of everything that happened before and after Dax's attack this past Monday night resurfaced.

"That's okay," I said, pressing my lips. "It's all Dax's fault. He deserved that slap from me!"

Jon crooked an eyebrow. "You slapped him?" And then I realized what I'd just said.

I smiled bashfully and nodded. "I was mad," I said. "But you know what, thank you so much for this!" I quickly exclaimed before he could even comment about what I did to Dax that night. Thankfully, the expression on his face seemed to tell me that he let the subject go.

"You're welcome." He took a seat next to me.

I played with my baby as I kept squeezing its soft, mushy figure. While I looked at it in my hands, from the corner of my eye I could see Jon affixing his stare on me.

"Thank you, really. Thanks a bunch." I looked at him, smiling tight-lipped. I could seriously thank him endlessly if I freaking had to. The stuff meant a lot to me!

He laughed. "I didn't expect you to be this appreciative."

I never wanted to assume or expect anything, but I couldn't manage to ignore the question that had germinated in my head since he gave me his little token: Why did he do it? I mean, sure, Colby might have told him how I badly wanted to get one stuffed minion from the claw crane machine, but… what was it to Jon? Right? What was it to him that he even considered trying to get one for me? Deep down, I knew where my thoughts were leading me. And before they could even lead me further, I elected to stop them.

_Quit assuming things, Jill. _I would never assume anything, let alone take the risk of expecting. Because the last time I stupidly fell for the trick of expecting, I got screwed pretty well. And that? That wasn't cool.

This night allowed me to see Jon's rather thoughtful side. Then I wondered if Jon wasn't like that to everyone… _but me._ If he wasn't, then I'd be smiling manically. If he was, then sure, I'd feel my heart getting pinched a little, but I'd still be happy that I was able to experience what it was like to receive something from Jon. I should be grateful. And I was.

Like it was some short-lived trance, the excitement started fading down until I felt the sleepiness take full control of my body again.

"You wanna sleep already?" Jon suddenly asked. I realized how my lids were quickly back to being heavy, and I guess it was very obvious that he noticed it.

I just smiled tight-lipped as if it was enough to express how sleepy I already was.

Jon smiled back. "It kinda surprises me, you know. It's only 10 PM. Aren't you usually still up at around 1 or 2 AM?"

It made my hair want to grow longer in pure joy and do braids at will. He probably recalled those moments where we either texted or talked on the phone late at night when he was drunk.

Heavy-eyed, I let out a soft chuckle. "Well I got a little drained today. And besides, I'm a sleepyhead by nature," I said, looking at my adorable minion as I played with it.

"I see," he said. "All right, you sleep now."

There was a little hesitation.

"Okay," I finally said and stood up. "Goodnight, Jon." I patted his shoulder before my feet started for a lazy trudge. I had just stepped a foot forward when Jon grabbed the crook of my elbow, pulling me to a stop.

"Where are you going?" he asked, not letting go of my arm.

I was slightly baffled. "Uhh… to your living… area?" I was suddenly feeling so uncertain that my response came out more like a question than a statement.

"Why? I thought you already wanted to sleep?"

"Y-y-yeah… I'm sleeping there," I said in a baffled tone.

"Where?"

"On the couch. In your living room."

Jon's eyebrows met and for a moment we were both silent. Since we'd talked about my sleepiness, our conversation felt a bit awkward. He looked baffled, and I was just as baffled as he was. His hand still gently clutched my arm.

"You're sleeping here," Jon said simply, the look on his face saying something like, 'Are you an idiot or what?'

I swallowed while I couldn't take my confused gaze off him. _What?! Sleep here? In your room? IN YOUR BED? _I'd never felt so nervous since my first ever wrestling match when I was 19. I was uneasy with the idea of sleeping in Jon's bed, and at first I didn't know why. But then I was able to put it together in my head – it just felt kinda wrong and just really awkward to me. Surely, I wouldn't mind if it was Cody or D-Bry… but this was freaking Jon! The idea of being in his bed along with that enchanting sallow light coming from his lamp and his messy hair and his gorgeous face all together with the unexplainable ambiance in the room that compelled me in such an unnatural manner was just totally…

"No!" I actually blurted, slightly losing control of my voice. "N-no thanks." I cleared my throat, re-leveling my voice pitch. "The couch is cool."

"Jill, it's fine." He loosened his grip and let my arm go. "I don't want you sleeping on the couch."

"But it's fine, too, really." At this point I was going to say anything to convince Jon. I wasn't going to sleep in his bed.

"I never let any woman sleep on my couch when she spends her night here." He now stood up, towering over me. "Especially not when she just had a four hour-drive just to return my phone and help me get better when I got sick."

I cringed. Convincing him was a tough job. I understood where he was coming from, but… ZOMG.

"But – "

"Just lie down, and sleep," Jon instructed, persuasion creeping into his tone.

"But I love sleeping on the couch." _What in the world was that? _I inwardly called myself stupid.

He sighed, rolling his eyes. "Jill, I am _not_ letting you sleep on the couch. So please just lie down, and sleep in the bed. I insist."

Someone's phone suddenly rang, thwarting our little argument, and it wasn't mine. Jon's ringing, light-emitting, vibrating phone on the dresser caught our attention. He walked over and checked the incoming call.

"It's Colby," he said before turning his back to me as he answered the call. "Hey, man," he said to Colby. I just stood there watching and listening to him as he conversed with Colby over the phone. "Haven't seen it yet… I was uhh, I was a little uhh…sick… Yes" – Jon glanced at me over his shoulder "Yeah I'm feeling better now… Still here, yeah… Shut up…"

I'd started thinking that Colby had just probably figured I was staying the night and that he was now teasing Jon about it or something. And while I laughed about how Colby was such a jerk, a bulb lit up in my head and I figured I could actually use this time to flee Jon's room while he was still occupied by Colby on the phone.

His back to me while he spoke over the phone pressed against his ear, Jon was completely unaware of my tiptoeing toward his door. Making sure I didn't make any kind of noise enough to distract him, I inched closer and closer to escape. All I had to do now was try to pull the door as quietly as possible – but that required a whole lot of effort.

Jon was still mumbling when I grabbed the doorknob. I had successfully twisted it completely-noiselessly. Now the hardest part came: pulling the door open without any noise.

"No shit, I'm not interested… Tell him he sucks… Yeah, I know… If I can't, then for sure it's going to be – "

That freakin' creaking sound of the door was heard as soon as I pulled it; Jon quickly stopped talking to Colby and looked around, finding me by the doorway. Darn it, I got caught. And instead of taking the time to run to the glorious couch as fast as I could, I wasted it by kvetching to my epic failure thinking how stupid I was and actually giving Jon time to capitalize.

"Dude I'll call you back," Jon said quickly and literally dropped his phone back on top of the dresser.

I smelled trouble. But unlike any other trouble, this one seemed like a lot of fun. _Uh oh. Run! _

"Hey!" Jon shouted as I heard his footsteps pounding behind me. But there was no way he'd get me, I was as good as the freaking roadrunner.

But unlike Wile E. Coyote, Jonathan Good _could _actually catch his roadrunner.

One moment I was tiptoeing and sprinting to escape, the next moment my feet couldn't even touch the floor.

Jon had enclosed his big, hefty arms around my waist, and lifted me off the ground. I totally forgot that the one I'd just tried to flee from was over 6 feet tall and 200 pounds. What power did I have? Jon hoisted me over his shoulder while I thought how useless it was to even try to wiggle my arms and legs. There was no escape.

"Not so fast, sweet cheeks," he said with a chuckle as he carried me like a ragdoll back to his room.

He put me down on the bed and I knew my face was bright red. He was looking down at me with a mocking smile.

"I told you" – he brushed his hair – "I won't let you sleep on the couch." Jon crossed his arms on his chest.

"All right, all right. Not a smart move, I know." I laughed before fixing my hair and straightening my clothes.

Jon tsked. "Look at your eyes. They're damn heavy. If you didn't contend with me earlier and tried not to sneak out of the room, you would've been peacefully sleeping for 15 minutes now."

Jon half-scolded me and it was cute. I was all silent, smiling mischievously like how a troublemaker little girl would after getting a sermon from her parents. Deep inside of me, I was just imagining how Jon would look like if he was lecturing his future children. He'd be an adorable father!

"I'm sorry, _dad_," I teased and an uncontrollable giggle escaped my mouth.

He squinted at me and bent over so we were face-to-face. "What did you just call me?" Jon pretended to look menacing and held up his index finger. _Uh-oh_. I knew what was coming. And I wished I knew better.

Seeing the imminent danger, I tried to make up for my mistake. "I-I mean, I – "

It was too late. Jon's fingers had assaulted my ribs, tickling me to death. All I'd ever experienced from Jon before was a single finger-poke; having all his ten fingers attacking me now was overwhelming. The sleepiness combined with the weakness I felt weighed my body down and I found myself sprawled all over the bed, hysterically laughing and crying from Jon's tickling while I begged him to stop.

"Cut… it… out!" I laughed as tears came out. The tickling was highly unbearable. "Jon… Stop! I am literally… going to pee on your bed!" I was punching and kicking the air, missing spots.

"Nah-uh, you're being one little firecracker tonight," he said under his breath, amidst his tickling.

I was feeling so weak yet having so much fun, just laughing and crying and even close to peeing. Jon kept telling me I deserved to be punished. Hearing him laugh and hearing ourselves laugh in unison was magical. I was having fun, it was almost criminal. I was still weakly trying to wriggle out of his hands. I was helpless.

But by some sort of luck, and through my persistent kicking, I had actually hit a spot.

Without really meaning to, I had kicked Jon's thigh with force, causing him to be on spaghetti legs… and to collapse on top of me on the bed.

The tickling had stopped. So had the laughing and my crying. It was silent. It was a bit awkward. What an awkward silence! And what… an… awkward… position.

We stayed there, our bodies against each other. After a few moments, he finally pushed his body up so he could see my face.

I didn't know what to do when my eyes locked with his after what had just happened. Through a bunch of curly disheveled hair falling over his face, my gaze was held by his cloudy blue eyes, which were like the midwinter sky. I just lay there silently, taking in the sight of him looking down at me, fully aware of his hairy forearms standing on either side of my head on the bed.

_Why is he still not getting up? _I was sure I was tomato-red. _ZOMG._

The cooperative sallow light in his room was perfect, and before I could get lost into his mesmerizing stare, I grinned impishly at him. "Sorry," I said as I began to wipe the 'tears of joy' off my face.

He started laughing, and I laughed along. We'd just had a fun-filled moment, dang it. He finally got back on his feet while I sat back up.

"Seriously though, sleep already. And sleep _here. In. My. Bed," _Jon emphasized. And this time I was by all means defenseless already to even fight back or refuse. "And you now know better than to protest, don't you?"

I nodded simply in response to him.

"Don't worry, it's impossible for me to fall asleep tonight. And if I do feel sleepy, I'll be on the couch." He smiled. I didn't comment. "I mean, if that's what's bothering you," he added. I didn't know what to say about that.

"Okay, I don't have the strength to argue anymore. Even if I still had, I'd think twice before deciding to challenge you again."

"Learned your lesson?" Jon smirked. I chuckled before a yawn involuntarily came out of my mouth.

He laughed. "Please, lie down now and sleep."

"Yes, sir!" I saluted playfully. I'd tucked myself under the covers when I realized something. "Hey! Where's my baby minion?"

Jon looked around and found it on the floor; I must have dropped it when he carried me over his shoulder moments ago.

He handed it to me and I hugged it as I lay back down. The moment my head rested on the pillow I felt hypnotized by the dream world already. "Thanks," I said, as I felt that I was going to shut down in just a few seconds.

"Wanna keep the light on?"

"I can't sleep with the light on," I said with closed eyes, half-asleep almost.

"All right." I heard Jon chuckle. "Goodnight, Jill." I felt the room go dark.

"Goodnight, Jon." I was talking in a dazed manner.

"Sweet dreams." His voice was low and was like honey.

"Sweet dreams."

"I won't be sleeping." I heard him chuckle once more.

"Okay."

"Jill?"

"Mmm?"

"Thank you."

"Yerrr 'elcome," I barely voiced in response.

I heard the door close. The moment I inhaled Jon's scent that was all over his pillow, covers, and bed sheet, I knew I was going to have the sweetest dreams.

I had every reason to smile in my sleep.

* * *

**A/N: What do you all think of this chapter? ;"3 Which is better, a silly-sick-Jon, or a silly-feeling-better-Jon? Reviews are very much appreciated! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

"_Let me show you some of my moves," D-Bry seduced Cody and started sexy-dancing in front of him._

_Cody wrinkled his nose in disgust. "You're a sore loser. This is what it's supposed to look like." Cody began humping his butt in the air, biting his lip and semi-closing his eyes, feeling the rhythm fully._

_I didn't know where I was. It was a red room and I couldn't even tell if I was sitting or standing. I must have been floating. Suddenly, goat-face and 'stachio began toward me and hit their moves the moment they were right in front of me._

"_No! NOOOOO!" I bellowed in repugnance and confusion as their laughs and the eerie upbeat music drowned out my cries._

* * *

Fluttering my eyes open, I couldn't have been more thankful realizing that it was all just a dream. The scene of the lame dirty dancing of D-Bry and Cody was still fresh in my head. What a ridiculous picture. But you know what they say about dreams: When you dream of someone, it means that… that person misses you. _Maybe I should be touched. _I rubbed my eyes and took in my surroundings.

I realized I wasn't in my room.

_I am in Jon's room. I just slept in Jon's bed. _The thought started giving me different kinds of reactions. I looked at the clock on his nightstand and it said it was 8:30 AM.

Firm in my hands was little baby minion. I left it safe and comfortable on the pillow and rolled out of Jon's bed. I was honestly a little anxious about starting this day. I wondered how this day would kick off considering Jon was the first person I was going to see. After five minutes of just standing there I finally elected to walk out the door. As I drew near it I heard voices chatting happily from the other side. Jon and Willy.

Slowly, I pulled the door open and shyly stepped outside. I was quickly met by Jon and Willy who sat at the dining table full of delicious breakfast.

"Hey guys," I said shyly with a tight-lipped smile.

"Goodmorning cutie pie!" Willy's slit eyes and wide grin flashed. As always, he was so full of energy and it was still early. I couldn't help but laugh. "Come join us! I've prepared all these for us three!"

"I thought I would never have another piece of those Philly steak sandwiches," I said coolly as I walked toward the table and took a seat from across Jon and next to Willy.

"How was sleep?" Jon asked as soon as I sat down. I realized that he had just got showered and noticed his damp hair messily plastered over his head. It was the same appearance he had whenever he went out to a WWE crowd as Dean Ambrose, except that most of the time he wore his hair slicked back. Yeap, the rest of The Shield kind of always looked wet each time they performed on the show.

"Oh, it was grand." I smiled at him.

"That's good." He nodded in approval and smiled back. "Oh, um, your brother BJ called on your phone when you were still sleeping."

"Oh cheese. What did he say?" I slightly worried about it.

"He just asked what time you'd be home. I told him you'd probably leave as soon as you got up and had breakfast," he said.

I excused myself for a moment and walked over the coffee table in his living area where my bag was placed. I pulled out my phone and sent a quick text to my brother BJ informing him that I'd be home by 2 PM. Afterwards, I went back to join Jon and Willy.

"So Mr. Willy" – I sat down – "How did your princess like the gift?" I looked at him with eagerness.

"She" – He took the time to finish chewing all of the food in his mouth off – "You should have seen the look on her face! She enjoyed it so much, I didn't expect it! I am so proud of myself!" Willy's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm.

And now that I was sitting next to him as he joyfully told his daughter's story, I realized he kind of looked like Bray Wyatt. And then I realized he didn't _kind of _looked like him, he _actually _looked like Bray freakin' Wyatt; except Willy wouldn't tell you to follow the buzzards.

"Sweet," I commented cheerily and stuffed a piece of steak into my mouth.

"Hey, kid, thank you so much. Had you not been here, I wouldn't be able to give her something special on her day. Really, she was madly happy with the gift. I wanted to invite you over last night and introduce you to her, but I knew Jon needed you more." Willy let out a silly eye-shutting laugh as a chunk of Philly slightly caught in my throat.

I chuckled along as I hung my head a tad low, and my eyes stole a glance at Jon who silently lowered his head while smiling as he focused on his food. I didn't know how to react to that. Jon was really cute though.

"And by the looks of it, _Johnny boy_ here is actually better and more smiling than the past few days!" Willy said loudly with joy. I grinned silently but his statement was tickling me inside. _Johnny boy? HAHAHA!_

"I'm actually feeling better," Jon said.

"Indeed!" Willy agreed. "And you're more handsome today, look at you! What a boss! That's my man!" He laughed proudly in that husky sound where there was actually more air than his voice.

I laughed along while Jon shook his head, wearing that dimply smile.

For long minutes the three of us just shared laughter while we enjoyed the food; Willy was the leader of funny stories.

"Hey Jill," the long-lost twin brother of Bray Wyatt said. "Was it hard to be my handsome boy's nurse?"

I paused at the question while I glanced at Jon before answering. "Mmm, nope." The look on Jon's eyes was funny and pressuring, as if he waited for me to say something unpleasant. "Not at all," I said simply.

"Really?" The look of disbelief on Willy's face was just as funny. "How come?"

"Well, he obediently takes the meds on time."

"How do you do that? I've known Jon for long and I'd still say today that he's the most difficult person to deal with when he's ill or real grumpy!" It was funny talked Willy talked about Jon that way like he wasn't around. "But for a pint-sized woman like you to survive his ill state, then you're something else. And Jon, how dare you become compliant to her while you remain hard-headed to me!" He pretended to sound like a condemnatory father of some sort but his airy laugh completely took over.

"I'm not hard-headed, you're just too impatient," Jon protested, laughing along.

"Mmm, maybe." Willy fixed all his flatware on his now empty plate. "Either that, or Jill is just too special that you're less stubborn to her."

That made me swallow my food hard all of a sudden. I wasn't looking at Jon, but no reaction came from him either. When I looked at Willy, it was still that eerie smile of Bray Wyatt that I saw.

_Special? _

"Jill," Willy said so intensely, I thought he was mad. Until I saw that smile again. "Isn't Jon a handsome man?"

_Wait. What? Where did that come from?_

I forced a casual smile. "Certainly," I said, applying a casual tone before I awkwardly took the glass of water to drink.

Before the moment could get more awkward, Willy's phone buzzed and magnetized all our attention. I silently finished my food whilst Willy talked to someone on the phone. _Do I regret that I said that? 'Course not! _And when I risked another glance at Jon, he was looking at me. I gave him an awkward look where my lips were pressed together, and he just smiled.

"Gotta get to the shop by 10," the good-natured man beside me said as he hung up.

"Shop?"

"An automobile repair shop," Jon informed me and drank from his glass of water.

"You're a mechanic?"

"Yes, sweetheart." Willy's smile was proud.

"And you wrestle too, right?" I was interested.

"Used to," he said in almost a despondent tone. "I decided to fill the space my great father had left when he died. I retired from wrestling 6 months ago."

My heart cricked a little at his words. I just offered him an apologetic smile; I couldn't find the words to say. I felt sorry for both his loss of a loved one, and the idea that he had to give up a job he loved so dearly to take over another in dedication to his father.

"But it's perfectly fine. I have been falling in love with the shop. Things are great. All is well in the world!" Willy laughed heartily.

"Yeah, everyone there loves you," Jon said.

"And I'm sure your father is smiling down at you," I said sincerely.

"Thank you." Willy's face was adorable. "So, little kids" – his gaze shifted from me to Jon – "Love your family to eternity. Spend time with them as often as possible. Things can happen to us without warning. Jon, you heard it from me first. I know you're capable of acting like a bitch, but please absorb my words: patch things up with your father."

Jon averted his gaze; there was a change of expression on his face. "Never."

Willy tsked. I looked to Jon and then back to him. "There he goes again." Willy slipped his phone back into his pocket, preparing to get up. "Jill, will you please admonish your friend here? It isn't right to treat your father with contempt, is it?"

I fell silent. I couldn't speak for Jon, but knowing his backstory and how his father had treated them, I couldn't blame Jon for acting the way he did.

"Willy, you're a better father to me than my real father would ever be," Jon jested and chuckled.

"Don't say that." There was seriousness in Willy's voice now as he stood up, about to leave. "Jill, you convince this boy, will you? Convince him to respond to his father. I can't do it, maybe you can. You can make me really happy when I finally discover that Jon has finally paid attention to _that letter_." He tapped my shoulder gently. "All right, I'm going! Later, Jon! Jill, God bless you!" He finally went out.

In the dining room, we were silent the first few moments since Willy left. Jon still wasn't saying anything.

_That letter. Has his father written to him or something?_

I found the courage to finally bring up the subject. "That letter that Willy mentioned… Was it from your father?" I looked at him from across where I sat.

He nodded, not meeting my gaze. It was crazy how talking about his father could get him to change moods so quickly.

"What did he say?"

Jon's stare seemed to darken and I quickly got tense for what I thought was about to come.

He licked his lips and his features softened back. "He wants to see me. Us."

And of course I knew how he felt about it. "And you obviously don't want to see him."

He nodded, blasé. I paused and pondered on whether or not to have a serious talk with him about this issue. My initial thinking was that it could really set him off if I decided to discuss it with him. For some reason though, I just knew he wouldn't get riled this time.

"Jon," I said softly. "Why do you not want to reconcile everything with him?"

"Why should I? We never shared one single moment together. Seen his pictures, but holy shit. I never really knew him." His voice was stern.

"But you do, now. Don't you want to give him a chance?"

"I already gave him a chance."

I gave him a confused look.

"Jill, this isn't the first time he wrote me a letter. He'd also sent one a month ago. I secretly went to the place he'd said where to meet him, and I got dissatisfied. I instantly retreated the moment I saw him with a woman and two kids." Jon began arranging the empty dishes in place.

"You assumed they were his second family?"

Jon's face was blank. "I was sure. I'm sure it's his second family."

I let out a deep breath before speaking so that I could be more careful with my words. "Please don't be mad, I am just concerned. But, were you really able to confirm it?"

He stared at me for a few seconds. "No."

I gave him an apologetic look. "Jon, I don't think he would send another letter if he wasn't serious about what he said he wanted."

"Maybe." He folded his arms on the table. "But maybe it's just because of the current state my mom and I are in now that he wants to reconnect with us. One way or another, he must've heard it from someone that his only son, the one that he discarded, is now a WWE wrestler."

And there was no denying that. Not to speak ill of someone I didn't really know, but one way or another, Jon's success in the WWE could have been one of the reasons his father wanted to get in touch with him and his mother.

"That could be true. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't possibly his reason. But so be it. I still believe he has deeper reasons," I said as I looked at him intently. "What if the woman and kids you saw with him weren't his second family, and that he doesn't really have a family to be with at all? Your father might have changed the way he views life now, and he's probably longing for that feeling of being surrounded by a real family – a feeling only you and your mother can provide." The whole time that I was talking, I made sure I sounded pleasant and genial enough not to exasperate him as we discussed his issues with his dad.

"That sounds impossible," he said coldly. "There is no denying the misery he'd caused mom. He left us, Jill. He abandoned me when I was still in my mother's womb. Living in the worst places possible, my mom selling her body to different men for money, and me fighting on the streets as a kid – I blame my father for all that shit. And during that cruel period of our life, where was he when we needed him? Not that we really needed him, 'cause I mean look, my mom and I survived. All I'm saying is, he wasn't there when we _could've_ possibly needed his presence and provision – so he doesn't deserve a family-relationship from me and my mom," he explained, his blue eyes flashing with deep anguish.

"I might never fully absorb the pain you went through and still feel now upon your father's actions, but every day is always a new and clean slate. You've had a shady past, you experienced a whole deal of distress, and that's why you're worried." I breathed and continued, "you can learn from those experiences, but you should use them to help you get more focused on your plans for the future. So that's what your father did to the two of you – but that was years ago. Is it really important now to avenge? We don't live this life for revenge, Jon. If we do, we are wasting our lives."

"I don't think you understand. Because if that is his real reason – if it's really true that he wants to be with us now – it is deeply infuriating to know that it took him 27 long years to realize that he wants and needs a family by his side." Jon pressed a hand against his head. "I just don't get how he has to maltreat his wife, abandon his unborn child, and actually no-show us for many years before he could finally realize that he needs a family."

My heart was cringing inside. I was looking at Jon, and I was starting to be enlightened. I studied his expression and figured out his true emotions. Jon wasn't as wildly outraged at his dad as I'd always thought him to be ever since I found out his back-story. He wasn't exactly as irate at his dad as I'd always imagined him to be. I was looking at Jon, listening to him open up this problem to me, and I didn't really see an angry, retributive son.

What I saw was a son who'd been pained so deep upon being deprived of a father's love all his life. He'd tried to give him a chance before, but had been very afraid to even confront him that he began making what might be a wrong assumption. And he still was afraid to give that chance now. He might not admit it, but I could feel that he was willing to give his father a second chance. He was just afraid. And I couldn't blame him, given the agony he and his mom went through during his father's absence. I couldn't exactly imagine the deep pain that was obviously still stinging inside of him, ripping through his emotions.

But I knew there was still hope. I felt his willingness to give his father another chance, despite his attempt to hide it. And it was that sliver of hope that ignited me to do everything I could to push Jon to officially give his dad another chance. I truly cared about Jon now that even I was affected by the issues between him and his father. This might be a real, one time-big time opportunity for his family to be whole for the first time, and I wanted Jon to finally have that moment.

"Jon. Think back to when you decided to go see him a month ago. What did – "

"I told you, Jill. I saw him with his girl and kids. I couldn't – "

"Please let me finish." I gave him a soft smile. He bit his lip and nodded silently, and I went to continue. "Think back to that moment. Why did you decide to do it? Why did you _want _to go there and see him? Why did you even bother trying?"

"My mom," he whispered, his gaze on the table. "My mom wanted him back. And she still does. She might not tell it straight to me, but I know. I just know. It's unimaginable how she still loves him after everything that happened. My aunts have told me happy stories about my parents when I wasn't born yet, and said they really seemed like the perfect pair, my relatives were so flummoxed and hurt that things completely went wrong between the two of them."

I arched a brow. "Okay, but how about you? You do want to see him too, right?"

I watched him chew the inside of his cheek. "I don't," he said coolly, averting his gaze.

_Fine, keep hiding it. You'll give in and admit it soon. For now you can be really cute trying so hard to hide your feelings, handsome._

"Okay," I said, not wanting to press on the idea anymore. "You did it for your mom. You can do it again this time, I'm sure. You can do it again for your mom."

His upper teeth remained sunken into his lower lip. "I'm… I'm not really sure," Jon said.

"You think of your mom, Jon. Don't focus on what she's telling you, but on what she's _not _telling you – just like what you said about her not admitting it to you that she wants to see your dad, but you just feel and know it." This time, I leaned closer over the table. "I'm very sure she's proud of you, she loves you so much and you two are very happy together… but perhaps she still has this one and only wish in her life to have your father back and set things right."

"You think so?" Jon asked pensively. There was thoughtfulness in his expression.

I nodded and smiled softly. "I understand you're scared, but you really need to – "

"I ain't scared of nothin'!" Jon cut me off. "I'm worried for mom. I can't bear to tell her if I ever find out that my dad has just been fooling us with these letters. I ain't scared," he protested, and I had to stifle back a giggle.

But he was scared, I knew. I could just sense it. While it was true that he was worried for his mom, it was also true that he was afraid to experience disappointment if he would ever find out that his dad didn't seriously want to see Jon and his mom. He was afraid and he didn't want to admit it.

"All right, all right. My point is, you really need to give it a try, Jon."

"And if it fails?" he asked, and suddenly his blue eyes were soft and weak, displaying utter worry.

"Then at least you tried." My smile was reassuring. The last thing I would want was to do anything that would discourage Jon. I knew that he wanted to do it but was just hesitant, and all he needed was a proper boost. "It will be painful and upsetting, but so what? After all, you're Jonathan freakin' Good, and pain and upset can't do chaos better than you. I'm more than sure you'll get through that."

To my pleasure, Jon finally smiled widely and there was no denying how adorable that dimple looked. He fell silent for a few moments, as though he was gathering his thoughts.

"I… I think I'm gonna do it," he murmured, his eyes glued to the table.

"You're going to do it. He is your only father in this world, Jon."

His eyes slowly roved up from the table to me. "You're right. I will give him another chance."

I felt so much joy upon hearing Jon finally make a decision. For a moment there we were just smiling at each other. I didn't know about him, but I was just purely glad that I had convinced him and he was now finally, officially giving his father a chance. With that said, we decided to clean up the table. I had to leave real soon.

We brought the empty plates to the sink.

Suddenly, Jon touched my arm. "Jill, can I trust you with something?" There was seriousness in his tone.

"Of course," I answered confidently. "We're friends." I smiled.

For some odd reason Jon had an unreadable expression on his face after I said that. It was as if I'd said something wrong. The smile on my lips quickly faltered and I began to worry a little.

"What?" I asked when he still didn't respond.

He shook his head very slowly, as though he was unsure of his reactions himself. I still couldn't read him at this point. It was such an unreadable look on his face! That was when I really wondered if I'd said something wrong, when all I ever said were the words "Of course" and "We're friends".

When he still didn't speak, I had to ask him already.

"Are we… _not _friends?" I asked, worry in my tone.

"No – I mean, we are!" His words, though seemingly hesitant and unsure, were quick. "We are friends, yes. It's just that – I uhh, thought, um…"

I scratched my head. "So we are friends?"

"Yes?"

"Is that still in question?" I asked, now more confused than ever.

"Yes," he repeated his 'yes' in a more declarative tone instead of in an interrogative one like previously. But I was too stupid to realize everything.

"Our friendship is in question?" I was the most confused person on planet earth.

"No, no, no." He shook his head and I could tell he was about to laugh at me.

"Then what?" I had gone completely hysterical now, it was ridiculous.

Jon started laughing. "Okay, okay." He gently placed his hands on my shoulders as though to keep me from moving frantically with my hysteria over our awkward conversation. "Yes we're friends, Jill. And that's why I can trust you."

I sighed as I looked up at him. "Right. So what is it you wanted to tell me?"

"This whole thing with my dad… can you not share it to anyone else? Colby and Joe know it. Since I trust you, you may share this to Bryan and Cody if you want. I just don't want this to get to the board. And I heard how Paul and the McMahons are so concerned with the Superstars' personal issues, especially Stephanie. I just don't want them to take actions for my problems. I want to take care of my issues all by myself. It's something really personal."

"You can count on me like one-two-three," I replied cheerily, grinning crazily.

He snorted, playfully mocking me. "You're so corny." He laughed.

I pretended to be hurt and laughed. "That's okay. I'm just really happy now. I can't wait till Willy finds out your decision, he's gonna be even prouder of you than he already is!" I clapped my hands in excitement. "Hey, speaking of Willy… I just realized he looks like Bray Wyatt."

Jon arched a brow. "Bray Wyatt as in Windham Rotunda?"

I nodded. Once he was done analyzing the resemblance, we broke out laughing so hard.

* * *

At 10 AM I had finally left Cincinnati. My drive back home was silent… but then it was normal because I was alone. But during another four-hour drive, a scent penetrated my nostrils, drugging me insanely and it was gestating euphoria into my imaginative mind. It came from my clothes. From my entire body.

Remembering which bed this body of mine had slept in last night, I immediately came up with a conclusion.

I smelled like Jon.

And for probably the entire four hours of driving, I was smiling like a maniac.

* * *

**A/N: Extremely deeply profoundly ultimately S-O-R-R-Y for the late update! College life is like... "Kill me now!" XD**

**Thank you very much for your support and appreciation. Your reviews will delight me like no blueberry cream cheese Belgian waffle could!**


	22. Chapter 22

Tiredness had surged into my body. Earlier when I was still 30 minutes away from home while on the road, I nearly hit a civilian and I'd had a blistering heart rate I thought I'd get unconscious sooner than the middle-aged man who looked just as troubled as I was. I was grateful that nothing bad happened, but it had given me additional stress.

With sore legs and a little headache, I walked toward the door of our house and stepped inside.

"What the fuck did you call me?"

I tensed at the shrill and irate voice of my brother BJ. The arguing voices of my other brothers followed, and the sound of them all combined was by no means pleasant. I rushed to the dining area where the clamor came from.

With heated eyes, BJ was staring at our youngest brother, Miguel, who reflected the same look of anger. Travis held Miguel back, while Nick did the same with BJ.

The headache and tiredness I felt only multiplied.

"What did you fucking call me?" BJ questioned Miguel once more, fury in his tone.

"You're a heartless jackoff!"

BJ broke loose from Nick and went to give Miguel one straight, heavy blow on the face, knocking him down.

Shocked and upset, I intervened. "Hey! What in the world is going on here?"

Miguel lay on his back, defenseless, as blood smeared his nose and mouth. BJ mounted him and continued the attack.

I was flabbergasted. My brothers were fighting.

"Stop it! BJ! Get off him!" I along with Travis and Nick pulled BJ's body off Miguel. When they were finally separated, they continued to shoot fiery words at each other.

"It's true, Beej! That's what you really are and you just proved me right!" Miguel spat as he briskly got back up.

"And you've completely grown up to be a disrespectful asshole!"

"Both of you, stop it!" I bellowed angrily as silence fell on us five. And even though Travis and Nick were silent, madness was all over their faces. "What, on earth, _is this_?!" I was freaking infuriated.

"Mom is sick, BJ! Can't you have the heart to visit her? Let alone give her a call?!"

I processed Miguel's words. I turned to BJ. "So you still haven't called her?"

He remained silent, he didn't meet my gaze as he looked at nothingness. His stare was hard.

I frowned at him. "BJ, why? Did it really have to get to this? What is wrong with you?"

"Don't tell me it's my fault again," he answered roughly as he finally met my scowl. "And stop giving me that look. You talk to me like you know the whole story when you weren't even here the whole night."

His words set fire to my anger. "You need to watch your words, Beej. I'm your big sister."

"So what? Your being our big sister isn't gonna do anything with this wreckage of a family!" BJ darted his finger at me.

"You need to put that finger down, BJ. You're too much," I said, my voice low and tense at once.

"Come on, Jill! Don't play dumb! We're a dysfunctional family! Why can't we accept that?" He looked at all four of us, his dark eyes flashing with fury. "Ever since our parents separated, we were never really the same! Our father's an unfaithful prick, and now you all ask me to talk to our slut mother?"

My ears stiffened. "How dare you speak of them like that!"

"Does it hurt you? 'Cause it's the damn truth! They left us, Jill. And with the job you have, you will leave us too."

Miguel tried to break away from Travis's hold. "Stop talking to our sister that way!"

"Sshh. It's okay, Miggy." I held Miguel close as I pressed my head against his chest.

"Oh yeah?" BJ retorted. Nick told him to stop but it was useless. "Well news flash, boys! _Our sister _here will leave us soon and that's the truth! Actually, she already has! She's left us broken and dysfunctional so she could selfishly achieve her self-centered career goals!"

At that point I abruptly turned to BJ and slapped him so hard, it made him throw his head back as he covered his mouth with his hand.

When he faced me again, his lip was bleeding and there was no mistaking the rage congested in his eyes.

Guilt quickly slammed into me as I realized what I'd just done.

Silent, BJ took an empty glass from the table and shattered it on the floor. Without another word, he walked out.

_Tell him you're sorry…_

It was already late. He'd already left the house.

I didn't mean to hurt my brother. _Are you kidding me? _

Heartsick, tired, and angry, I went to my room as the other three boys dispersed.

* * *

I hung up on Cody before my tears could even run down my face. I had told Cody what happened, and even if talking to him helped me feel a little better, I still felt crushed.

Feeling defeated, I plopped down flat on my stomach on the bed, the side of my head pressed against the pillow. I just lay there in my room, hurt and alone in the quiet night as I let the stillness invite my pain.

_Why? _It was the first word I heard in my head. It was a one-word question with many possible supplementary questions. Why did what happened, happen? Why did my dear brothers fight? Why did I hurt one of them? Why had our parents left us? Why were we such a dysfunctional family and why couldn't I do something about that?

Mom, now in a different city, was sick and all I ever wanted was for all five of us to spend the longest time possible with her. I always couldn't reach dad and I wished he would answer my calls.

Tears continued to flow, dampening my eyes and wetting my face, drenching my pillow. I cried silently while I let the pain and guilt consume me. Pain for everything that had happened to my family. Guilt for being a loser of a big sister to my brothers. I failed them. I asked myself, _what if this kind of thing kind of always happened when I'm away from my brothers? _After my parents' separation, BJ was the most damaged among the five of us. Not that we weren't affected; we definitely were affected. But BJ was the worst. And I couldn't blame him for acting the way he did. And also, maybe BJ was right.

_I'm selfish. _I was always away from them because of my job. But God could tell how much I loved my brothers and there was nothing I wouldn't do for them. But then I wondered if loving the job you've always dreamt of having and pursuing your biggest goal was being selfish. I didn't know anymore. And now I didn't want to know what was happening from the other side of my door. I didn't even know if BJ was home yet. I was so hurt and weak, and the cold night was so inviting I couldn't control my tears.

The greatest noise I heard was my phone, buzzing on my nightstand, distracting me away from my misery. I grabbed and checked it. _Incoming call. Jon. What a pleasant surprise for a melancholic night._

Being in tears and sad and all, I would normally not be able to answer a call. Had it been Cody or Bryan, I would've ignored the call. But knowing that it's Jon, I could somehow manage to fight off the melancholy.

I quickly wiped my tears and cleared my throat making sure any evidence that I'd been crying was erased from my tone.

I picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jill." It was ridiculous how literally one second I was just crying, and the next one my lips could already manage to curve into a small smile upon hearing Jon's voice.

"What's up?" My voice failed a little and showed a tiny hint of my weeping.

Luckily, he didn't notice. "Just wanted to check on you, hoping you're already home by now."

"Oh, yes. Yes I'm already home," I said.

"That's good. You haven't texted me, I was… worried," Jon said, his voice calm.

_Worried? I heard that right, right? _I was about to squeal when I remembered he was on the phone.

"Sorry about that. I was just a little… busy when I got home."

"Had an eventful afternoon?" he asked.

I paused. "S-sort of." I sniffed back my tears before realizing he could take a hint out of that.

"Are you all right?"

"Yes," I answered quickly, fake-chuckling. "What are you doing?" I diverted the subject.

"Jill. Are you crying?"

It startled me. How could he easily detect that? _Is he a god or something? _Well, in the ring, he was. He always was, I already knew that.

I just let out another uncomfortable chuckle and I knew it answered his question. I didn't want him to know about it, but I couldn't really think of a pretty nice excuse to keep me from telling him either.

"Jill, what happened?" Concern laced his voice, and I was really comforted at how sincere it sounded. Actually, hearing him sound that way was almost enough to lift my spirits greatly.

I hesitated a little. I took a deep breath. "A little problem with my little brothers."

The next thing I knew, I was narrating the whole story to Jon, including some history too. I didn't intend to open this up to him, but he insisted. How was I to say no to Jonathan Good? I had been hesitant at first because I really was embarrassed about it. Not only that, but I'd also been afraid that I wouldn't be able to choke back my tears once I began telling my sad story and end up crying to him on the phone – something I really didn't want to happen.

Despite these worries, I'd done it. I'd shared a part of me to Jon in a still night. The whole time, I was trying to insert a few punchlines and silly jokes whenever I could, just so I could prevent myself from crying again and hide the sadness a little while I told him my sad story. After long minutes of my narration, I could actually breathe easier and the muscles of my face were now more cooperative to pull off a sincere smile.

"You're not selfish, Jill," were his first words after I'd talked for long, and they seemed to magically bring tears to my eyes.

Shortly, images of BJ angrily talking about my selfishness and the mistakes I'd had flashed in my mind and I couldn't help the pain. I'd just believed that maybe I had been a selfish person, and here was Jon, totally opposing that idea and comforting me.

It just overwhelmed me how he was being understanding of me at this point. Because I really needed it.

I kept the tears from falling and let them dry. "I'm not really sure," I said.

"I'm almost certain you're the best big sister anyone could have. And man, I didn't know you have four younger brothers to look after. I hope you realize this: You kinda became the official single-parent to those boys the moment your parents were gone. And if you were such a bad sister, your brothers should've been drug lords or loathsome criminals. But they aren't, Jill," Jon explained and the way his words touched my heart was overpowering. But I was determined to hold back the tears.

"It's because of you that they're all well, Jill," he said when I failed to give him a reply. "A lot of people really lose direction in their lives the moment they lose their parents. It is a damage that devastates them severely. But your brothers, they're blessed for having you as their big sister, because you have kept them good boys, and you live to help them get through such a difficult situation despite the pain."

"But they're still very hurt and it's obvious. BJ's right about us being a dysfunctional family."

"It's true how hurt they are. But it will need more time, and they will need you greatly. They might not say this to you, but you're probably their current biggest source of strength now. What BJ said was just out of anger and frustration, trust me. He didn't mean to hurt Miguel and talk to you like that as much as you didn't mean to hurt him."

I sighed heavily at his words. How comforting it felt as they passed through my ears and into my heart. Not finding the words to say, I remained silent. Unbeknownst to him, I was sporting such a big and hearty smile already.

"I'm here for you, Jill." His words were pleasant, and his voice like honey. It was music to my ears.

Effin' joy deep effin' down in my heart! Can't effin' say the effin' word effin' fully, dang it!

"Thank you, Jon. I'm feeling so much better now, you've no idea."

"For some reason I just dislike the thought of you being sad," he said.

'_I'm very happy you said that' – say it!. _I shook my head. "I appreciate your concern." My smile grew wider and how I wish he could see it then.

"You still sound down," Jon pointed, his voice mimicking my sadness.

"No," I said and chuckled. "My vocal cords are just adjusting, don't worry. I'm really feeling better now. I'm actually smiling. Wish you could see me."

"I wish I could hug you."

_Wait. What? Did I just. Hear that. Right?_

For a moment I thought that maybe he was drinking again and was just being silly spewing out silly words. As ridiculous as it might sound, I actually urged myself to check if he was drunk again.

"Jon?" I said, curiosity in my tone.

"What?"

"Are you – What was that?" I stammered.

"I said I wish I could hug you."

I was half-expecting to hear him tell me that he was drinking or doing something ridiculous, that he was just going insane again. But here he was, repeating his previous, startling statement with no drunkenness in his tone.

He wished he could hug me.

My blood had absorbed a huge amount of adrenin and there were changes in my blood composition, leading to an emotional excitement. I was so delighted!

"Really?" was the only word that escaped my lips.

"Yeah." He cleared his throat. "If it doubles the amount of comfort you can feel and easily takes the pain away, you know? Even just for a short period."

"Talking to you is enough," I actually blurted out.

"That's good to hear." He chuckled sweetly. "For the meantime, I am sending you a virtual hug, sweet cheeks. Hug your little minion."

I looked to the right side of my bed and grabbed the cute toy Jon had given me. I smiled when I sniffed his scent on the stuffed toy and actually felt like he was there with me in my room.

"Hugging it now," I said as I held the minion close. For a few seconds there was just silence, and I imagined I was hugging Jon.

Very cute.

"Thank you so much, Jon."

"Nah, I did nothing, trust me. I just called you. It was nothing compared to when you became like my nurse for a day doing all the nice things to me," he animatedly said.

_If only you know how one phone call from you is more than enough for me to be instantly on cloud nine._

"What's that?" Jon's voice startled me.

_Has he heard me? But I didn't say it out loud, did I?_

"Huh?"

He laughed. "Nothing. Just checking if you're still awake."

_Whew._

"Of course I am!" I laughed. "Hey, have you told Willy about your decision yet?"

"Oh yeah. He went nuts. I thought the _buzzards _have attacked him."

I laughed at the inside joke. "I knew he'd be happy. Let me know if anything happens, okay?"

"Yeah. You'll definitely be one of the first people to know from now on."

"Sounds great," I exclaimed. I actually felt honored. "Thanks for the trust, Mr. Good."

"Well thanks for making me trust you, sweet cheeks."

I never thought I could actually feel better that night. It had seemed like an impossible thing to happen, but then it did happen.

After our conversation, I found myself dearly holding my baby minion as though it were the child I'd been deprived of for many years.


	23. Chapter 23

"Welcome back, kiddo!" Cody excitedly greeted as he and D-Bry both pulled me in for a warm and tight hug.

Back to work. My two-week suspension was finally over. While I was extremely happy about that fact, I couldn't help but worry about my brothers.

Ever since the fight I had with BJ, we never really got to reconcile fully. For days, I'd try to approach him and talk to him but he would always either refuse to hear a word from me, or allow me to speak but he wouldn't say anything and would just treat me like freaking dog manure. He'd been ignoring me. He kept doing it and my heart was broken every time. However, my wounded heart would always seem to heal every night as I would either get a call, or have a long text conversation with Jon. And take note, he was sober all along. _Ha! _He'd always initiate the talks and I didn't know why he did it. Or maybe I kinda did, but was just afraid to assume things. He'd comforted me over the phone during the remaining boring and sad days of our two-week hiatus; it made me… miss him more. Before I went to sleep I'd be uncontrollably replaying images of when I drove to Cincinnati to bring him his phone. It was magical.

I was heartsick that I left home without being able to have a decent talk with BJ and resolve our issues. After what had happened, the last thing I wanted was for me to become even a worse big sister to my brothers. I loved them with all of my heart.

Despite this, I knew I couldn't take all my home-related problems to work. For now I had to focus. And besides, I was really excited about one thing now… I'd see _him_ again.

Also, thank goodness I had my friends to take my focus somewhere else.

"Missed you, jerks." I laughed as they pulled away from our little group hug. Cody, D-Bry, and I were somehow alone in the women's locker room.

"So uhh, how was _Cincinnati_?" was Cody's first question. His eyebrow playfully jerked up and down as he flashed me that teasing smile.

I only rolled my eyes but couldn't stifle the laugh that'd been dying to get out. Suddenly, D-Bry slowly walked, his steps orbiting around me until he stopped behind me. When I looked back at him, he had the strongest inspective look on his face. It was so weird.

"I can't believe it," D-Bry said, yanking his insanely grown-out beard. As deep curiosity filled his face, D-Bry stepped closer to Cody and nudged him. "How come she's still a virgin?" he questioned seriously, staring at my legs.

I wanted to laugh and punch him in the face but my face could only heat up and turn red upon the idea of what I knew D-Bry was thinking.

"How do you know she's still a virgin?" Cody asked as he broke out laughing.

"The way her legs look. It's still different from most of our divas here," D-Bry informed.

"You disgusting troll! Why'd you freaking ask that?" I yelled to goat-face.

His scowl was the funniest face ever. "Well didn't you stay that night in Jon's place?"

"I… did." I glanced away.

"Then how come?!" D-Bry had the most violent look of inquisitiveness now, it was so annoying and just funny.

"_Bryan! _How could you!" I protested, failing to control my laughing.

"How could I what?"

"How could you think I'm a girl like that! After all these years! Really, Bryan Danielson?"

"Err, stop calling me that. You sound like mom." He wrinkled his nose at me.

Cody slapped his thigh as he laughed. "Bryan, you really think Jill can change quickly like that for a guy?"

D-Bry shrugged. "Well? Who knows? After 24 years, maybe she's finally realized she isn't gonna wait till she's married and she desperately wants the _D_."

"You're digusting!" Laughing, I slapped D-Bry's arm. "I had to stay there because he was sick."

Cody and D-Bry looked at each other.

"Or maybe you just also wanted to," D-Bry teased, his crystal blue eyes narrowing at me in a very playful manner.

I gaped at him, unable to believe the goat-face. "How could you! The guy was sick and alone!" I spat playfully. "If you'd been in my shoes, you'd do the same thing! Right Cody?" I looked to Cody, somewhat begging for a little alliance with him.

Cody shrugged. "I don't know. But I have a feeling that even if he wasn't sick that day, you would've ended up sleeping with him anyway."

My eyes widened and I lightly smacked Cody's chest. "I didn't sleep with him! And let's stop talking about this before someone overhears us and creates a crazy buzz out of it!" I looked warily around the room, making sure we were alone.

When D-Bry and Cody began to laugh in unison, I eyed them evilly.

"Do you have any idea how defensive you're being right now?" D-Bry mocked.

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Barfs, it's true. I did _not _sleep with Jon," I said in a low voice, still thinking that anyone might miraculously hear us. "I can't do that! Come on!"

"We know." Cody smiled. "We know you can't do that." He laughed. He was right.

"But you know how we love to mess with you, right? And you often know how to handle our assfaces. But with this one, you're obviously frantic and insane. Look how red you are." D-Bry pinched my flushing cheek.

I lightly slapped his hand away. I was silent and a little thoughtful for a while.

_Am I really that crazy over this particular subject? _

As if he heard me, D-Bry ruffled my hair before whispering, "You're going all crazy."

"Crazy for Jon!" Cody seconded.

I rolled my eyes before heading for the wash room.

* * *

We were still an hour and a half away from RAW's kickoff. I still hadn't caught sight or a whiff of Jon. I didn't really understand how I felt, but it was like an itch that demanded to be scratched.

I wanted to see him already.

Despite this, I also felt quite nervous about it; while there was no denying the fact that I wanted to see him, I also wasn't sure of how to act around him… now that we'd kinda gotten a _little _more comfortable with each other. I just knew I'd missed him but couldn't really begin to think of what to say to him. We'd gotten quite closer during the past two weeks, and our late-night conversations, despite not being in person, were downright… enjoyable. Not sure about him, but I totally enjoyed them.

More importantly, I couldn't quite understand why I was panicking over this. _You can just say hello and be casual_. Yeah. Like it was that easy to do to someone you liked.

Once I'd finished off the last piece, I crumpled the aluminum wrapper of my chicken sandwich and took a long swig from my water bottle. I was alone at the table. I surveyed the catering room, checking every table for any sign of Jon or The Shield. I found nothing but that bright green and yellow sock – The Cobra – all abandoned on top of one of the tables… I wasn't quite sure what Santino's deal was.

My phone buzzed and I pulled it out from my pocket to read the text message. It was from boss lady, Stephanie McMahon.

'Jill, kindly proceed to the office ASAP.'

The mixture of nervousness and excitement already pumping in my blood only doubled upon reading Steph's text. Everytime a Superstar or Diva got called by the bosses, it truly was only between a good news or a bad news. Inside _that _office, you were either boosted, or busted. Pushed, or buried. Steph would call me into the office just to have a refreshing chat at times and be all motherly to me, but I wasn't really sure this time.

I had just closed the message and was preparing to get up when I noticed two big figures hovering in front of my table. I looked up and I was met by the smiling faces of Colby and Joe.

My heart pounded.

These two men were the only sign I ever needed in order to know that Jon was just somewhere around the corner… that any moment this time, I'd see him again.

_Tuna sandwiches. Where are you… Don't startle me too much…_

"And so you're back," Colby said good-naturedly as they both took their seats from across me.

I chuckled before reaching out my hands to both of them for a low-five. "Yeap, and I can tell you two aren't too impressed that I'm back," I joked as both men slapped their hands against mine.

"Actually, we kinda missed you," Joe said in that low, deep, and manly voice of his.

I laughed. "Oh do you, really?"

Joe nodded with a smile. "Believe that," he said with a chuckle.

"Also," Colby said, "we kinda missed you more than we missed _that _guy." He cocked his head toward my direction and I noticed that he was looking past me. Probably at someone behind me.

I knit my brow at Colby but before I could even say something, a large hand covered my eyes, obliterating my vision.

The hand was fairly large, the person literally only had to use one hand to cover both of my eyes. More importantly, the moment it made contact to my face a very familiar scent permeated my senses.

I suddenly half-knew who the person might be. My hand raised and went to touch the mysterious hand blocking my sight.

For seconds there I just enjoyed the blackness that I could see.

"Guess who," I heard Joe say playfully.

"A little hint," Colby followed, "he gave you a stuffed minion as a peace offering." I heard both Colby and Joe laugh no sooner than I felt my cheeks heat and redden.

_Jon._ I could not be mistaken. There could be nobody else. Flipping blush alert.

Suddenly I felt the mystery hand pull me closer that my head actually rested against a pack of ripped abs. I felt the person bend over, bringing _his _face near and whispering to my ear, "Welcome back."

Finally, his hand gently let me go and through a still blurry vision I looked up to see Jon.

A shy and small smile played across my lips. "And welcome back, too." My voice was more calm and casual than how I was truly feeling inside. I rubbed my eyes.

When I could already see him clearly, my excitement tripled. I had missed him and now that he was finally standing in front of me, my emotional excitement was just ripping through me. That adorable dimply smile was crushing me and I wanted to just throw my arms around his neck and let him know how much I'd missed him…

_Hug him. _

I caught myself before I could even think of jumping out of my chair and hugging him. I couldn't do it. Especially not when these two dorks were around and teasing.

_Come on. Hug him. _

_-I can't!_

"How are you?" Jon played with my hair. I caught Colby and Joe casting a meaningful look at Jon and me the moment his fingers combed my hair. I'd say that I was enjoying Jon's playing with my hair but couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed because of the other two's teasing. Nonetheless, it felt really nice.

"I'm good, you?" I responded.

"I'm great." He smiled.

I suddenly remembered about Steph's text. "I actually have to go to the office now," I said, slowly getting up.

"Really?" Jon's eyes were wide. "I just got a text from Stephanie, I'm going there too," Jon informed.

I arched a brow. "Really?"

"Yeah, I was actually already on my way there but… we spotted you here so…" Little by little, Jon's gaze was hypnotizing and before I could be completely lost…

"Perfect timing," Colby suddenly butted in. "I just hope it's not another suspension. I mean, you both just got back," he jested and laughed together with Joe.

Well that was a scary speculation, _Lopez_.

I laughed nervously. "That would be the biggest injustice in my entire WWE career." The three men laughed at my statement. But I meant it.

"For some reason, this excites me," Joe said. "You two better show up there now. Go."

I nodded. "Later."

"Later, boys," Jon said to them as we both turned on our heel and went out of the catering room.

As I walked, I was really contemplating on what kind of surprise could be waiting for us in the office. I'd always had the tendency to panic, and I couldn't avoid considering what Colby said earlier, despite the fact that he meant it as a joke.

_Another suspension? _For some reason, though I knew it didn't have the grounds, I just thought it was possible. Maybe I was going to get a suspension. For what reason, I didn't know. I just somehow conjured it up in my stupid brain that I could possibly be suspended.

Worse, fired.

The thought was a downright horror.

But what the devil was I even thinking?! How could I be fired? Or suspended? What the actual hex?

"Hey." Jon gently pulled me to a stop, his hand lay still on my shoulder. "You okay?"

For a few more split-seconds, I was still in my little trance. I finally snapped away from my overly dreadful thoughts. "Yeah, I'm okay!" I grinned fully. Seconds after that creepy grin, I realized just how maniacal I probably looked in front of him. I caught myself and slowly discarded the psycho grin and chuckled.

"Are you really bothered by what Colby said? We're not getting suspended." He actually laughed. "That's just ridiculous." His smile was reassuring.

"I know," I replied. "Sorry, just can't help overthinking sometimes." I straightened my hoodie.

"It's gonna be fine." Jon winked.

Now I was fully confident. "Right." I gave him a tight-lipped smile.

He pinched my nose lightly. Very cute. I would understand it if I did get a rednose after that pinch. But I didn't. All the redness glowed all over my cheeks instead, and I wished it wasn't that way. Big problem.

And I knew he noticed it. It was just impossible to miss the blush I produced, I mean I could feel my cheeks heat up like a microwave! Now I didn't know what was going through his head.

"Let's go?" Jon amazingly managed to show that dimple without even shaping his lips into a smile. Must be a skill or something.

And I wondered if it was normal for boys to kinda ignore it when girls blushed in front of them. Nevertheless, I was really grateful he chose not to acknowledge my tomato-red face.

And we continued walking our way to the bosses.

Just what kind of present were we about to walk in on inside the office?

* * *

**A/N: I KNOW, I KNOW. It is nothing but an injustice that I've once again delayed my update. Truly, competely, SORRY, from tip-to-toe! I'm sorry guys. College is. I can't even explain it. Do forgive me! :(**

**And if you think there's not much in this chapter, I apologize too! I'm really sorry. I'll make everything up to you guys.**

**So... What do you all think? What's waiting for Jon and Jill in the office? ;P**

**I would thank all of you everyday of my life for supporting this story. God bless you! :)**


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